Method and apparatus for non-invasive blood glucose sensing

• US 6,088,605 A
• Filed: 12/31/1998
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dominion Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Diasense Inc.
• Inventors: Barker, Todd Q., Griffith, John S., Cooper, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric F.
• Application Number:
  US09/125,600
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 600/310, 600/316, 600/322, 600/344, 600/473, 600/340
• US Class Current: 600/316
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist

Abstract

A method and apparatus (12) for the non-invasive sensing of blood glucose levels includes apparatus (10) which moves the forearm of the patient in a controlled incremental manner to take a plurality of spectral skin measurements and averaging the measurements for the purpose of accounting for biological differences that exist in the patient'"'"'s skin.

Claims

1. Apparatus for monitoring blood glucose levels in a patient, said apparatus of the non-invasive, near infrared type including a monitor housing having means for generating and measuring near infrared radiation, wherein the improvement comprises:

a) a sensor head operably coupled to the near infrared radiation generating and measuring means for directing and receiving said radiation to and from a patient'"'"'s skin;

b) an arm tray slidably mounted on said monitor housing adjacent to said sensor head for supporting a forearm of the patient thereon and to position the forearm relative to the sensor head; and

c) motive means for incrementally moving and stopping the arm tray relative to the sensor head over a selected distance to permit a plurality of blood glucose measurements to be made along a given area of forearm skin of the patient.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for lifting the skin of the patient away from the sensor head when the arm tray is selectively moved and for returning the skin to a position in contact with the sensor head means when the arm tray is stopped.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the skin lifting means includes a pair of spaced-apart rollers positioned on opposed sides of the sensor head, said rollers mounted for rotation on a roller support frame, linkage means connected to said roller support frame for raising said rollers to a position above a sensing surface of the sensor head and for lowering said rollers to a position below said sensing surface;

and motive means for moving the linkage means to selectively raise and lower the rollers.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the arm tray has an opening therein to permit the sensor head and skin lifting means to directly contact an underside skin surface of the patient'"'"'s forearm at selected intervals.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 including hand grip means positioned at an end of the arm tray for grasping by the patient to locate the patient'"'"'s forearm relative to the sensor head.

6. A method of monitoring a blood glucose level by use of near infrared radiation in a patient comprising the steps of:

a) positioning a sensor head of a blood glucose monitor at a first skin site of the patient;

b) performing at least one blood glucose measurement at said first skin site;

c) repositioning the sensor head to a next skin site and, at the same time, lifting the skin of the patient away from the sensor head;

d) performing at least one blood glucose measurement at said next skin site;

e) repeating steps c) and d) a plurality of times to conduct blood glucose measurements over a given area of skin;

f) averaging the blood glucose measurements made in steps b)-e); and

g) releasing the skin to contact the sensor head during steps b) and d).

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the positioning and repositioning steps comprise selective movement of a forearm of the patient relative to the sensor head.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the skin sites are located on a patient'"'"'s forearm.