Non-invasive IR transmission measurement of analyte in the tympanic membrane

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of directing said radiation comprises utilizing an imaging system to focus a portion of said transmitted radiation onto said infrared detection device.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of directing said transmitted radiation comprises utilizing at least a lens disposed between the tympanic membrane and said infrared detection device, said lens focusing a portion of said transmitted radiation onto said infrared detection device.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of directing said transmitted radiation comprises utilizing at least one optical fiber disposed between the tympanic membrane and said infrared detection device, said fiber collecting a portion of said transmitted radiation and directing said collected radiation to said infrared detection device.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of disposing a first lens between said optical fiber and the tympanic membrane to focus a portion of said transmitted radiation into said fiber.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of disposing a second lens between said optical fiber and said detection device such that said second lens focuses a portion of the radiation being transmitted through said fiber onto said detection device.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of directing said transmitted radiation comprises disposing at least two lenses between the tympanic membrane and said detection device such that said selected location of the tympanic membrane lies substantially in the focal plane of a first lens and said infrared detection device lies substantially in the focal plane of a second lens, said first lens substantially collimating said transmitted radiation and said second lens receiving said collimated radiation and focusing it onto said detection device, whereby said lenses image a portion of said transmitted radiation onto said infrared detection device.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of cooling said selected location of the tympanic membrane to a temperature lower than the temperature of the inner ear comprises utilizing a cooled infrared detector having a cold surface for cooling said selected location of the tympanic membrane.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1, further characterized by selecting said detection device to comprise an infrared detector being adapted to receive said directed radiation, a plurality of infrared filters adapted such that each filter can be individually disposed between the tympanic membrane and said detector, each of said filters transmitting infrared radiation in a selected range of wavelengths, whereby the output signal of said detector is proportional to the intensity of said directed radiation in a range of wavelengths associated with the transmission of said filter.

Claim 11

The method of claim 9, further characterized by selecting the range of wavelengths associated with the transmission of at least one of said filters to partially overlap with the transmission range of another of said filters.

Claim 12

The method of claim 10, wherein the step of deriving the concentration of said substance comprises utilizing Kromoscopic Techniques.

Claim 13

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of deriving the concentration of said substance comprises utilizing Spectrophotometric Techniques.

Claim 14

The method of claim 12, wherein said Spectrophotometric Techniques comprise Filter Photometry.

Claim 15

The method of claim 1, wherein said detection device comprises a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer.

Claim 16

The method of claim 1, wherein said constituent of interest comprises glucose.

Claim 17

Apparatus for non-invasive determination of the concentration of a constituent of interest in blood flowing through a tympanic membrane of a subject comprising: cooling means for periodically cooling a selected location of the tympanic membrane to a temperature lower than the temperature of the inner ear cavity during a measurement cycle, a radiation collection device, said device adapted to be inserted into the external auditory canal of said subject to a position such that there is an unrestricted optical path between said selected location and said device, whereby said device collects infrared radiation that originates in the inner ear and is transmitted through said selected location of the membrane, an infrared detection device adapted to receive a portion of the radiation collected by said collection device to produce an output signal, said signal being related to the concentration of said constituent of interest, and a spectral analyzer adapted to receive said output signal, said analyzer employing spectral analysis techniques to analyze said received output signal to obtain the concentration of said constituent.

Claim 18

Apparatus for non-invasive determination of the concentration of a constituent of interest in blood flowing through a tympanic membrane of a subject comprising: cooling means for periodically cooling a selected location of the tympanic membrane to a temperature lower than the temperature of the inner ear cavity during a measurement cycle, a radiation collection device, said device adapted to be inserted into the external auditory canal of said subject to a position such that there is an unrestricted optical path between said selected location and said device, whereby said device collects infrared radiation that originates in the inner ear and is transmitted through said selected location of the membrane, an infrared detection device adapted to receive a portion of the radiation collected by said collection device to produce an output signal, said signal being related to the concentration of said constituent of interest, and a spectral analyzer adapted to receive said output signal, said analyzer employing spectral analysis techniques to analyze said received output signal to obtain the concentration of said constituent.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said collection device comprises an imaging system for focusing a portion of said transmitted radiation onto said infrared detection device.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said collection device comprises a lens adapted to be disposed between the tympanic membrane and said detection device, said lens focusing a portion of said transmitted radiation onto said detection device.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said collection device comprises at least one optical fiber adapted to be disposed between the tympanic membrane and said infrared detection device, said fiber collecting a portion of said transmitted radiation and directing said collected radiation to said detection device.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said collection device further comprises at least a lens adapted to be disposed between said optical fiber and the tympanic membrane, said lens focusing said transmitted radiation into said fiber.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said collection device further comprises at least a second lens disposed between said optical fiber and said infrared detection device such that said second lens focuses a portion of the radiation being transmitted through said fiber onto said detection device.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said collection device comprises at least two lenses adapted to be disposed between the tympanic membrane and said detection device such that said selected location of the membrane lies substantially in the focal plane of one of said lenses and said infrared detection device lies substantially in the focal plane of another of said lenses, whereby said lenses image a portion of said transmitted radiation onto said infrared detection device.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said cooling means comprises a cooled infrared detector having a cold surface for cooling said selected location of the tympanic membrane.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said detection device comprises an infrared detector being adapted to receive said directed radiation, and a plurality of infrared filters adapted such that each filter can be individually disposed between the tympanic membrane and said infrared detector, each of said filters transmitting infrared radiation in a selected range of wavelengths, whereby the output signal of said detector is proportional to the intensity of said directed radiation in a range of wavelengths associated with the transmission of said filter.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the transmission range of at least one of said filters partially overlaps with the transmission range of another of said filters.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said infrared detection device comprises a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said infrared detection device comprises a detection device utilizing Spectrophotometric Techniques.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said infrared detection device comprises a detection device utilizing Kromoscopic Techniques.

Claim 31

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said infrared detection device comprises a detection device utilizing Filter Photometry.

Claim 32

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said constituent of interest comprises glucose.