Optical glucometer

Abstract

Disclosed herein are devices and methods for detecting blood glucose levels in a subject that involve passively quantifying mid-infrared emissions from the eye of the subject.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An optical glucometer apparatus comprising:
 a thermographic device that is configured to passively receive mid-infrared (MIR) electromagnetic emissions from an eye of a subject, and   a computing device that is communicatively connected to the thermographic device, wherein the thermographic device is configured to communicate the MIR electromagnetic emissions from the eye of the subject to the computing device, and wherein the computing device is configured to compare the MIR electromagnetic emissions from the eye of the subject to standard control values to estimate glucose levels of the subject.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the thermographic device is a thermographic imaging device. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein MIR electromagnetic emissions are captured by at least one image taken of the subject's eye by the thermographic imaging device. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the thermographic imaging device is an infrared camera. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the thermographic imaging device is a microbolometer. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the microbolometer has a sensitivity that is at least comparable to a vanadium oxide (VOX) or amorphous silicon (a-Si) microbolometer. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the microbolometer comprises a focal plane array of about 100×100 active pixels. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the thermographic device is a bolometer-type infrared imaging device. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the thermographic device is a mid-infrared (MIR) sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the MIR electromagnetic emissions are in a wavelength range from about 8 μm to about 11 μm. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a frame configured to align a sensor of the thermographic device in front of the subject's eye. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is incorporated into a handheld electronic device. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to calculate a radiance value based on the MIR electromagnetic emissions. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a continuous medicament delivery device in data communication with the apparatus, configured to receive the blood glucose value from the apparatus, and further configured to deliver insulin to the subject for glucose control. 
     
     
         15 . A method for detecting blood glucose levels in a subject, comprising passively quantifying mid-infrared (MIR) electromagnetic emissions from the eye of the subject, and comparing the MIR emissions to standard control values to estimate glucose levels in the eye. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the MIR emissions are detected at a wavelength of about 8 to 11 μm. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the MIR emissions are detected at a wavelength of about 10 μm. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the MIR emissions are detected using a bolometer-type infrared imaging device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the MIR emissions are detected using a microbolometer infrared camera. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising assaying a blood sample from the subject to measure blood glucose levels if abnormal glucose levels are estimated. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising adjusting glucose levels in the subject based on the estimated glucose levels. 
     
     
         22 . An optical glucometer apparatus comprising:
 a mid-infrared (MIR) sensor; and   a processor configured to measure blood glucose concentration in a subject; and   a computerized memory that stores a set of control voltage values;   wherein the processor comprises computer implemented instructions to:
 passively receive, during a measurement cycle, a voltage measurement from the MIR sensor corresponding to voltage induced by MIR radiation emitted from an eye of a subject; and 
 correlate the voltage measurement to the control voltage values equal to the voltage measurement. 
   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the voltage measurement includes multiple voltage measurements and wherein the processor further comprises computer implemented instructions to:
 integrate the multiple voltage measurements and produce a single voltage value for the measurement cycle; and 
 calculate an average voltage measurement of the single voltage value across a plurality of measurement cycles; and 
 wherein the voltage measurement for correlation is the average voltage measurement. 
 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the set of standard control values comprises a respective average of control voltage values induced at the MIR sensor for MIR emitted through respective transmission media having known glucose concentrations. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , further comprising a continuous medicament delivery device in data communication with the apparatus, configured to receive the blood glucose value from the apparatus, and further configured to deliver insulin to the subject for glucose control.