Patent ID: 6285448
Filing Date: 2001-09-04
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
An in-vitro method for determining the concentration of one or more clinical analytes comprising the steps of:(a) obtaining a volume of a fluid sample comprising interstitial fluid;(b) contacting a portion of said sample on a plane of an optically clear first window;(c) placing a second optically clear window in contact with the first window to thereby sandwich the sample between the windows;(d) shining a known wavelength of light from the mid-infrared spectrum for an uncontrolled path length through said windows and said sample in a path perpendicular to said plane;(e) measuring a spectrophotometric property of said light; and(f) performing a quantitative mathematical analysis of said spectrophotometric property to determine the concentration of at least one analyte, wherein the fluid sample is obtained by creating a micropore on the surface of the skin of a patient, wherein said micropore at least partially fills with interstitial fluid and pressing said first window against the micropore to collect a volume of said interstitial fluid.