US2010160750A1PendingUtilityA1

System and method for non-invasive spectroscopic detection for blood alcohol concentration

54
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jul 13, 2007Filed: Jul 6, 2009Published: Jun 24, 2010
Est. expiryJul 13, 2027(~1 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Steven C. WhiteJohn HeanueKate Leeann Bechtel
A61B 5/14532A61B 5/0062A61B 5/0075A61B 5/441A61B 5/14546A61B 5/1455G01N 21/359A61B 5/0059A61B 5/6826A61B 5/6825
54
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Claims

Abstract

An apparatus and method for acquiring and analyzing a spectroscopic sample for a substance from a sampling region of the tissue of a person at an interstitial region between the fingers of the person, by way of a probe and a spectroscopic detector for radiating the interstitial region with electromagnetic radiation and analyzing a diffuse-reflectance signal obtained from the tissue at the sampling region. The apparatus preferably also incorporates a biometric sensor to perform a verification of the person.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An apparatus for acquiring and analyzing a spectroscopic sample for a substance from a sampling region of the tissue of a person, the apparatus comprising:
 a source of electromagnetic radiation;   a probe for delivering the electromagnetic radiation to the tissue at the sampling region and obtaining a diffuse-reflectance signal from the tissue at the sampling region; and   a spectroscopic detector for analyzing the diffuse-reflectance signal for presence of the substance.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a biometric sensor to perform a verification of the person. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the biometric sensor is a fingerprint scanner. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the apparatus controls access to a vehicle, machinery, or heavy equipment, and denies access if the biometric verification fails to verify the person as someone authorized to operate the vehicle, machinery, or heavy equipment. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the substance is alcohol. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the analysis comprises determining a blood alcohol concentration of the person. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation being analyzed is in the wavelength range of about 2.1 microns to about 2.5 microns. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the substance is glucose. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation being analyzed is in the wavelength range of about 2000 nanometers (nm) to about 2225 nm. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the substance is cholesterol. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation being analyzed is in the wavelength range of about 2225 nm to about 2500 nm. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sampling region comprises the interstitial region between two adjacent fingers of the person. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the sampling region comprises the interstitial region between an index finger and a corresponding middle finger of the person. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising two spectroscopic detectors: a substance detector for detecting the substance and a wavelength calibration detector for calibrating the substance detector. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the probe comprises a fiber optic bundle. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the fiber optic bundle is bifurcated, with one portion for delivering a source radiation to the sampling region and another portion for returning a detected radiation to the spectroscopic detector. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the spectroscopic detector comprises a tunable Fabry-Perot etalon. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the tunable Fabry-Perot etalon is tuned by using a piezoelectric element. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the tunable Fabry-Perot etalon is tuned by using a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising a fixed Fabry-Perot etalon configured to calibrate the tunable Fabry-Perot etalon. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a diffuse reflectance surface to calibrate the spectroscopic detector. 
     
     
         22 . A method of using the apparatus of  claim 1  as a screening device, the method comprising controlling access based on the analysis of the substance being above a predetermined concentration. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the substance is alcohol. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the controlling access is for controlling patron access to alcohol in public establishments. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the controlling access is for controlling driver access to an automobile. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the controlling access is for controlling operator access to heavy machinery or equipment. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the controlling access is for controlling operator access to means of public transportation. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the person is on probation. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the person is an employee and the controlling access is for controlling access by the employee to his or her job. 
     
     
         30 . A method of non-invasive spectroscopic detection of a substance from the tissue of a person, the method comprising:
 impinging electromagnetic radiation on a sampling region of the tissue of the person;   obtaining a diffuse reflectance signal from the tissue at the sampling region; and   spectroscopically analyzing the diffuse-reflectance signal for presence of the substance.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising verifying the person's identity through a biometric sensor. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the substance is alcohol and the method further comprises determining the blood alcohol concentration of the person. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation analyzed is in the wavelength range of about 2.1 microns to about 2.5 microns. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the sampling region comprises the interstitial region between two adjacent fingers of the person.

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