Glucose Monitoring Device And Method

Abstract

A method for determining the quantity of an analyte in a fluid is described along with various components of an apparatus designed to carry out the method. The method involves habituating a patient's eye to one or more colors, measuring the recovery time, and correlating the recovery time to the quantity of the analyte. A reproducible, objective, non-attentiveness-dependant test for assessing analyte levels is further disclosed. To this end, a device that measures saccadic eye movements may be used to assess the return of vision to the prehabituated state. The method and apparatus are particularly suited for noninvasively measuring blood glucose levels.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of monitoring glucose levels in a patient, the method comprising:
 displaying a first image on a screen of a display module, wherein the first image is displayed for a first period of time to allow a patient's vision to reach a habituated state while viewing the first image;   terminating the first image;   monitoring saccadic eye movements of the patient using a sensor after the first image is terminated to determine when the patient's vision returns from the habituated state to a non-habituated state;   determining a second period of time from when the patient's vision returns to the non-habituated state; and   correlating the second period of time with a blood glucose level of the patient using a processor.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising displaying a second image after the first image is terminated. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the second image further comprises a white background. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the first image further comprises a pattern having one or more colors. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the first image further comprises an object having one or more colors. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the second image further comprises a pattern having one or more colors. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the second image further comprises an object having one or more colors. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3  wherein at least a portion of the second image moves in one or more directions on the screen. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for monitoring glucose levels in a patient, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor configured to produce a first image on the screen of a display module, wherein the first image is displayed for a first period of time to allow the patient's vision to reach a habituated state while viewing the first image;   a sensor configured to monitor saccadic eye movements of the patient after the processor terminates the first image, wherein the sensor provides a sensor signal to the processor to determine when the patient's vision returns from the habituated state to a non-habituated state;   a circuit configured to track a second period of time from when the patient's vision returns to the non-habituated state and store the second period of time in a memory,   wherein the processor analyzes the second period of time to compute a blood glucose level of the patient.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processor displays a second image after the first image is terminated. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the second image further comprises a white background. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first image further comprises a pattern having one or more colors. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first image further comprises an object having one or more colors. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the second image further comprises a pattern having one or more colors. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the second image further comprises an object having one or more colors. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the second image moves in one or more directions on the screen. 
     
     
         18 . A machine readable medium having stored thereon instructions, comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to perform a method, the method comprising:
 displaying a first image on a screen of a display module, wherein the first image is displayed for a first period of time to allow a patient's vision to reach a habituated state while viewing the first image;   terminating the first image;   receiving monitored saccadic eye movements of the patient from a sensor after the first image is terminated to determine when the patient's vision returns from the habituated state to a non-habituated state;   determining a second period of time from when the patient's vision returns to the non-habituated state;   correlating the second period of time with a blood glucose level of the patient.   
     
     
         19 . The machine readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions are stored remotely and are sent to the one or more machines over the Internet to perform the method. 
     
     
         20 . The machine readable medium of  claim 18 , further comprising displaying a second image after the first image is terminated.