SYSTEM FOR NONINVASIVE MEASUREMENT OF AN ANALYTE IN A VEHICLE DRIVER

• US 20130110311A1
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety Inc.
• Original Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ver STEEG, Benjamin, KRAUSE, Joseph Kae, RIDDER, Trent, CECH, Len
• Application Number:
  US13/596,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110311A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1477 non-invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4845 Toxicology, e.g. by detection of alcohol, drug or toxic products A61B5/4848 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0836 due to alcohol
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0612 Laser diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/08 Optical fibres; light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/12 Circuits of general importance; Signal processing

Abstract

A system for non-invasively measuring an analyte in a vehicle driver and controlling a vehicle based on a measurement of the analyte. At least one solid-state light source is configured to emit different wavelengths of light. A sample device is configured to introduce the light emitted by the at least one solid-state light source into tissue of the vehicle driver. One or more optical detectors are configured to detect a portion of the light that is not absorbed by the tissue of the vehicle driver. A controller is configured to calculate a measurement of the analyte in the tissue of the vehicle driver based on the light detected by the one or more optical detectors, determine whether the measurement of the analyte in the tissue of the vehicle driver exceeds a pre-determined value, and provide a signal to a device configured to control the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for non-invasively measuring an analyte in a vehicle driver and controlling a vehicle based on a measurement of the analyte, the system comprising:

at least one solid-state light source configured to emit different wavelengths of light;

a sample device configured to introduce the light emitted by the at least one solid-state light source into tissue of the vehicle driver;

one or more optical detectors configured to detect a portion of the light that is not absorbed by the tissue of the vehicle driver;

a controller configured to calculate a measurement of the analyte in the tissue of the vehicle driver based on the light detected by the one or more optical detectors, determine whether the measurement of the analyte in the tissue of the vehicle driver exceeds a pre-determined value, and provide a signal to a device configured to control the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a biometric device configured to identify or verify an identity of the vehicle driver.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the biometric device collects a set of biometric data from the vehicle driver and compares the set of biometric data with a set of enrollment data corresponding to authorized vehicle drivers stored in the biometric device to identify which, if any, of the authorized vehicle drivers provided the set of biometric data.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein a prospective vehicle driver provides a purported identity to the vehicle, the biometric device collects a set of biometric data from the prospective vehicle driver, and the biometric device verifies whether an actual identity of the prospective vehicle driver is the purported identity of the prospective vehicle driver by comparing the set of biometric data of the prospective vehicle driver with the set of enrollment data corresponding to the purported identity of the prospective vehicle driver.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein an intensity of each solid-state light source is configured to be independently modulated.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the light emitted from each solid-state light source is configured to be combined into a single beam such that the light emitted from each solid-state light source is consistently introduced into and collected from the tissue of the vehicle driver.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the light emitted by the at least one solid-state light source and the light detected by the one or more optical detectors has a wavelength between 1,000 nm and 2,500 nm.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a microcontroller configured to turn the at least one solid-state light source on and off according to a set of states defined by a pre-determined modulation scheme.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each solid-state light source is configured to be tuned to multiple peak wavelength locations such that the system is capable of measuring more wavelength locations than a number of solid-state light sources provided in the system.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a light homogenizer configured to provide uniform radiance of the light introduced, by the sample device, into the tissue of the vehicle driver.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the measurement of the analyte comprises a presence, a concentration, a rate of change of the concentration, a direction of change of the concentration or a combination thereof of the analyte.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the measurement of the analyte is obtained using multivariate analysis.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of solid-state light sources are arranged in a planar array.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of solid-state light sources are divided into one or more groups and each solid-state light source within the one or more groups is mounted onto a common carrier for each group with a predefined spacing between other solid-state light sources mounted on a same common carrier.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of solid-state light sources are arranged such that multiple solid-state light sources are located within a single semiconductor to form a laser bar.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the laser bar comprises one or more groups of solid-state light sources, each group of solid-state light sources having a same wavelength that differs from a wavelength of an adjacent group of solid-state light sources.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to measure more than one analyte.

18. A method for non-invasively measuring an analyte in a vehicle driver and controlling a vehicle based on a measurement of the analyte, the method comprising:

introducing, by a sample device, different wavelengths of light emitted by at least one solid-state light source into tissue of the vehicle driver;

detecting, by one or more optical detectors, a portion of the light that is not absorbed by the tissue of the vehicle driver;

calculating, by a controller, a measurement of the analyte in the tissue of the vehicle driver based on the light detected by the one or more optical detectors;

determining, by the controller, whether the measurement of the analyte in the tissue of the vehicle driver exceeds a pre-determined value; and

controlling the vehicle based on the measurement of the analyte in the tissue of the vehicle driver.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

collecting, by a biometric device, a set of biometric data to identify the vehicle driver;

comparing, by the biometric device, the set of biometric data with a set of enrollment data corresponding to authorized vehicle drivers previously stored in the biometric device; and

identifying which, if any, of the authorized vehicle drivers provided the set of biometric data.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing, by a prospective vehicle driver, a purported identity to the vehicle;

collecting, by the biometric device, a set of biometric data from the prospective vehicle driver;

comparing, by the biometric device, the set of biometric data to the set of enrollment data corresponding to the purported identity of the prospective vehicle driver; and

verifying, by the biometric device, whether an actual identity of the prospective vehicle driver is the purported identity of the prospective vehicle driver based on the comparison.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein an intensity of each solid-state light source is independently modulated.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising turning the at least one solid-state light source on and off, by a microcontroller, according to a set of states defined by a pre-determined modulation scheme.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the measurement of the analyte comprises a presence, a concentration, a rate of change of the concentration, a direction of change of the concentration, or a combination thereof of the analyte.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the measurement of the analyte is obtained using multivariate analysis.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising measuring more than one analyte.