Systems and methods for collecting tear film and measuring tear film osmolarity

Abstract

A sample receiving chip comprising including a substrate that receives an aliquot volume of a sample fluid and a sample region of the substrate, sized such that the volume of the sample fluid is sufficient to operatively cover a portion of the sample region. The energy imparted into the sample fluid is transduced by the sample region to produce an output signal that indicates energy properties of the sample fluid. The sample receiving chip also includes a channel formed in the substrate, the channel configured to collect the aliquot volume of a sample fluid and transfer the aliquot volume of sample fluid to the sample region.

1 .- 44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . A system for detecting or measuring an analyte of interest in a sample fluid, comprising:
 a) a measuring unit comprising
 i) a sample receiving chip, 
 ii) a substrate of the sample receiving chip; 
 iii) a sample region of the substrate, the sample region sized to be operatively covered by the sample fluid, and comprises at least one transducer that transfers optical energy to the sample fluid; 
 iv) an optical energy source that illuminates the sample region; and 
 v) an optical detector that receives optical energy from the transducers of the illuminated sample region, and 
   b) a processing unit, operatively coupled to the measuring unit, the processing device comprising processing circuitry configured to receive transferred optical energy from the sample fluid from the measuring unit, process the measured optical energy of the sample fluid, and determine the presence or concentration of an analyte of interest in the sample fluid from the processed optical energy of the tear fluid.   
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the analyte of interest is a protein, immunoglobulin, cytokine, or mucin. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the analyte of interest is IgE, IgA, IgG, IgM, TGF-Beta, TNF-alpha, interleukin (IL1-A), MUCS, or PRG4. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the sample fluid is tear film. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 48 , wherein the substrate is operatively shaped to promote collection of tear film from a tear lake. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the substrate comprises a material that allows for collection and transfer of the sample fluid. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the transducer comprises optical indicators. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the transferred optical energy comprises surface plasmon resonant transduction. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the transducer comprises a plurality of electrodes. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the processed optical energy further indicates the osmolarity of the sample fluid. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the optical detector comprises a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a photodiode.