Glucose monitoring apparatus and method using laser-induced emission spectroscopy

Claim 1

Apparatus for determining the concentration of glucose in a sample that includes water, comprising: a light source that emits ultraviolet excitation light of at least one predetermined energy level, that is directed at a sample to produce return light from the sample, such return light including induced emission of light produced as a result of interactions between the excitation light and any glucose with water present in the sample; a sensor that monitors the return light and generates at least three electrical signals indicative of the intensity of return light associated with glucose concentration distinguishing characteristics of the emission light, the at least three electrical signals including at least two electrical signals indicative of the intensity of return light at a respective number of wavelengths within a predetermined, narrow wavelength band corresponding to at least one characteristic narrow spectral peak, and a third electrical signal indicative of the intensity of return light within a predetermined, narrow wavelength band outside of the narrow spectral peak; and a processor that processes the electrical signals, using a predictive model, to determine the concentration of glucose in the sample.

Claim 10

An apparatus for determining the concentration of glucose in a sample that includes water, comprising: a light source that emits ultraviolet excitation light that is varied over a plurality of predetermined energy levels and directed at a sample to produce return light from the sample, such that the return light includes induced emissions of light produced as a result of interactions between the excitation light and any glucose with water present in the sample; a sensor that monitors the return light and generates, at each energy level of the excitation light, an electrical signal indicative of a first intensity of return light within a wavelength of the return light associated with raman scattering, and an electrical signal indicative of a second intensity of return light within a wavelength of the return light associated with glucose emission; and a processor that processes the electrical signals, using a predictive model, to determine the concentration of glucose in the sample.

Claim 11

An apparatus for determining the concentration of glucose in a sample that includes water, comprising: a light source that emits ultraviolet excitation light that is varied over a plurality of predetermined energy levels and directed at a sample to produce return light from the sample, such that the return light includes induced emissions of light produced as a result of interactions between the excitation light and any glucose with water present in the sample; a sensor that monitors the return light and generates, at each energy level of the excitation light, an electrical signal indicative of a first intensity of return light within a wavelength of the return light associated with raman scattering, and an electrical signal indicative of a second intensity of return light within a wavelength of the return light associated with glucose emission; and a processor that processes the electrical signals, using a predictive model, to determine the concentration of glucose in the sample.

Claim 12

A method for determining the concentration of glucose in a sample including water, comprising: exciting the sample with excitation light at a plurality of energy levels; measuring, at each energy level, a first intensity of return light within a wavelength of the return light associated with raman scattering; measuring, at each energy level, a second intensity of return light within a wavelength of the return light associated with glucose emission; determining the concentration of glucose using a predictive model incorporating the first intensity measurements and the second intensity measurements.

Claim 13

A method for determining the concentration of glucose in a sample including water, comprising: exciting the sample with excitation light at a plurality of energy levels; measuring, at each energy level, a first intensity of return light within a wavelength of the return light associated with raman scattering; measuring, at each energy level, a second intensity of return light within a wavelength of the return light associated with glucose emission; determining the concentration of glucose using a predictive model incorporating the first intensity measurements and the second intensity measurements.

Claim 17

A method of determining the concentration of glucose in a sample with water, comprising: providing a regression model that accounts for a nonlinear relationship between the concentration of glucose in a sample and an electrical signal based on certain glucose concentration distinguishing characteristics of a light emission spectrum that includes emission light produced by glucose related interactions with the excitation light; causing a sample to produce a light emission spectrum that includes ultraviolet emission light produced by glucose related interaction and generating a plurality of electrical signals that represent the glucose concentration distinguishing characteristics, at least two of the plurality of electrical signals indicative of the intensity of return light at a respective number of wavelengths within a predetermined, narrow, wavelength band corresponding to at least one characteristic narrow spectral peak, and at least a third of the plurality of electrical signals indicative of the intensity of return light within a predetermined, narrow wavelength band outside of the narrow spectral peak; and processing, using the regression model, the plurality of electrical signals to determine the glucose concentration and generating an electrical signal based on the glucose concentration determined using the regression model.

Claim 18

A method of determining the concentration of glucose in a sample with water, comprising: providing a regression model that accounts for a nonlinear relationship between the concentration of glucose in a sample and an electrical signal based on certain glucose concentration distinguishing characteristics of a light emission spectrum that includes emission light produced by glucose related interactions with the excitation light; causing a sample to produce a light emission spectrum that includes ultraviolet emission light produced by glucose related interaction and generating a plurality of electrical signals that represent the glucose concentration distinguishing characteristics, at least two of the plurality of electrical signals indicative of the intensity of return light at a respective number of wavelengths within a predetermined, narrow, wavelength band corresponding to at least one characteristic narrow spectral peak, and at least a third of the plurality of electrical signals indicative of the intensity of return light within a predetermined, narrow wavelength band outside of the narrow spectral peak; and processing, using the regression model, the plurality of electrical signals to determine the glucose concentration and generating an electrical signal based on the glucose concentration determined using the regression model.