Abstract:
Analyte content in a cell free portion of a body fluid, such as blood, is optically determined without centrifugation or other preliminary steps for separating the cell free portion from the body fluid. A channel is configured for containing a flowing sample of the body fluid along an optical boundary. The channel is configured so that a cell free layer of the fluid naturally forms along the boundary of the channel which coincides with the optical boundary. A light source is directed onto the optical boundary at an angle selected to generate total reflection from the boundary and to generate an evanescent field across the boundary in the cell free layer of fluid. A light detector is configured to detect absorption of the light in the evanescent field. The light source and light detector are matched to the wavelength range of an absorption peak of the analyte being detected.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/339,269, filed on May 20, 2016, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY 
       [0002]    Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to the field of clinical analyzers and more particularly to a method and apparatus for measuring free hemoglobin in plasma without separating plasma from a whole blood sample. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    In a variety of clinical settings, it is important to measure certain chemical characteristics of plasma from whole-blood samples. For example, it is commonly important to measure the analytes, extracellular hemoglobin, bilirubin, and lipid particles in plasma. These settings range from a routine visit of a patient to a physician&#39;s office, an emergency room, or monitoring of a hospitalized patient, for example. Numerous techniques and apparatus are commonly used for measuring chemical characteristics of body fluids in clinical settings. Measurement of an analyte in a body fluid sample may be accomplished by numerous methods one of which is by spectroscopic determination. 
         [0004]    Some techniques for analyzing body fluid are complex and may involve numerous steps such as centrifugation to prepare a fluid sample for measurement. For example, techniques for measuring analyte content in the plasma portion of a blood sample may involve preliminary steps such as centrifugation of whole blood to separate blood cells from the plasma portion. These preliminary steps add time, complexity and cost to previously known techniques for measuring analyte content in a body fluid. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The disclosed apparatus and method may be implemented to measure analytes or components in the plasma fraction of a blood sample without any need for separation of plasma from the whole blood sample. Aspects of the present disclosure provide a method and apparatus for quantifying hemolysis in whole blood using frustrated total internal evanescent wave absorption at a prism/blood interface. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, free hemoglobin in a whole blood sample can be measured using evanescent wave absorption without red blood cell separation. 
         [0006]    An apparatus for detecting analytes in whole blood without red blood cell separation from the whole blood, the apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a channel for receiving a blood sample, and a prism adjacent to the channel. A light source directed through the prism at an angle of incidence greater than or equal to a critical angle relative to a normal of the interface, wherein the angle of incidence creates total internal reflection of light from the first light source and creates an evanescent field extending into the channel. The evanescent field decays to approximately zero within about 1 micron depth into the channel. When whole blood is flowing in the channel, a substantially cell-free plasma layer occupies this thin boundary region of the channel. A light detector is aimed to receive the light from the light source that has been reflected through the prism from an optical interface at the boundary of the channel. Analyte content in a substantially cell-free plasma layer of the blood sample is determined by analysis of the reflected light. One aspect of the present disclosure describes an optical method for quantifying hemolysis in whole blood using frustrated total internal reflection caused by evanescent wave absorption at a prism/blood interface. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of example embodiments of the present disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, emphasis illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of an apparatus for detecting analytes in whole blood without red blood cell separation from the whole blood according to an aspect of the present disclosure. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an illustration of an apparatus for detecting analytes in whole blood without red blood cell separation from the whole blood according to another aspect of the present disclosure. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of a prism integrated with a flow cell channel according to another aspect of the present disclosure 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a graph showing light absorbance by a fluid sample having free hemoglobin versus wavelength of the light detected according to an aspect of the present disclosure. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a graph showing light absorbance for three samples having different levels of hemolysis versus wavelength of light detected according to an aspect of the present disclosure. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  a graph of absorbance versus response time for six sample of fluid having different levels of hemolysis as measured according to an aspect of the present disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a process flow diagram describing a method for detecting analytes in whole blood without red blood cell separation from the whole blood according to an aspect of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    When a whole blood sample flows through a channel having a small cross sectional diameter, such as a blood vessel in the body or a capillary on a chip, for example, the sample behaves as a flow stream in which a substantially cell-free plasma film is present at the edges of the channel. The substantially cell-free plasma film is a very thin layer having a thickness in the range of less than a micron to a few microns at the edge of the channel. It is believed that the substantially cell-free plasma film is present in blood vessels, for example, to help prevent clogging and reduce fluidic resistance of the small blood vessels in the body. The small blood vessels may have cross sectional diameter in a range of about 8 microns, for example. 
         [0016]    According to aspects of the present disclosure, absorption of light is measured in the narrow substantially cell free plasma layer at the boundary of the flow channel and an optical interface. To measure the absorption in this narrow region, light is incident onto the boundary at an angle greater than a critical angle. The incident light generates a field, called an evanescent wave, which penetrates into the flow cell. The optical field amplitude of the evanescent wave decays in less than 1 wavelength, approximately 500 nm, from the flow cell surface. Because this optical path-length is so much smaller than typical co-oximetry flow cells (100 um), optical wavelengths corresponding to the maximum hemoglobin absorption, the Soret band around 420 nm, are used instead of typical co-oximetry wavelengths in the range of 500-650 nm. 
         [0017]    An evanescent field is an optical field that is created at the boundary of two materials that have a different refractive index, e.g. between a glass prism, and a fluid like blood. The evanescent field exists only next to this interface and decays exponentially as you move away from the boundary. So, far away from the interface, the amplitude of the field goes to zero. Because the evanescent field exists only next to the boundary, the plasma layer next to the boundary can be measured without the field interacting with the cells. 
         [0018]    According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the boundary layer is probed with an evanescent field created by total internal reflection from a prism surface. The presence of various analytes in plasma can be measured next to the channel wall without interference from the cells because in the region very close to the wall the plasma is present with no cells. 
         [0019]    An evanescent field is generated by configuring the angle of incident light with respect to an axis normal to the boundary to be greater than a certain critical angle by a margin of approximately 1-5 degrees. The critical angle depends on the nature of the two materials on either side of the optical boundary. In an illustrative embodiment in which the optical boundary is formed between a prism made from BK7 glass and blood serum, for example, the critical angle is 62.4 degrees. When the angle of incidence is above the critical angle by a large enough margin, which depends on the light source being used, all of the incident light is reflected. That is called total internal reflection. Under conditions of total internal reflection, the only light on the other side of the boundary is called an evanescent field. On the other hand, when the angle of incidence is less than the critical angle, some of the incident light will propagate into the blood flow. 
         [0020]    Because the evanescent light only penetrates a short distance into the channel it provides only a weak absorption signal. Therefore, it is important that the light source emits light in a part of the spectrum that provides good absorption by the analyte being detected. An illustrative embodiment of the disclosed apparatus configured for hemolysis includes a light source that emits light in the 410 nm-420 nm wavelength range because in this range hemoglobin exhibits a very strong absorption peak. In a particular embodiment, a light source that emits light at 405 nm is used for hemolysis. In another embodiment in which the analyte being detected is bilirubin, a light source that emits light with a wavelength of 535 nm may be used. In still another embodiment in which the analyte being detected is lipemia, a light source that emits light with a wavelength of 671 nm may be used. 
         [0021]    According to an aspect of the present disclosure, two light sources may be used for hemolysis. Differential detection may be performed by comparing the absorption at the wavelength of a main signal with absorption at some off-resonant wavelength. A first light sources may provide a main signal in the 420 nm wavelength range, for hemolysis. The second light source may be provided in another color to correct for scattering and/or turbidity, or another absorbing analyte. The wavelength of the second light source is not as critical as the wavelength of the first light source. In an illustrative embodiment, the second light source has a wavelength of about 470 nm. Because one or two colors are used in certain embodiments of the disclosed apparatus, the light detectors in these embodiments can be implemented as just one photodiode for each color. It should be understood that the light detectors may alternatively be implemented as spectroscope in alternative embodiments. For example, an embodiment of the disclosed apparatus may be configured with light sources having numerous different wavelengths. In these embodiments absorption may be measured using a spectroscope, for example. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an apparatus  100  for detecting analytes in whole blood without red blood cell separation from the whole blood according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a channel  102  for receiving a blood sample and a prism  104  adjacent to the channel  102 . The prism  104  includes a first surface  106  abutting the channel  102  and defining an optical interface  108  between the prism  104  and the blood sample when the blood sample is received in the channel  102 . 
         [0023]    The apparatus  100  also includes a first light source  110  directed through the prism  104  to the optical interface  108  at an angle of incidence  112  greater than or equal to a critical angle relative to a normal axis  114  of the interface. The angle of incidence  112  of optical illumination in the prism  104  is greater than the critical angle of the prism/plasma interface  108 . The angle of incidence  112  creates total internal reflection of light from the first light source  110  and creates an evanescent field  114  extending into the channel  102 . The evanescent field  114  extends into a plasma layer of the blood sample adjacent to the interface  108  and decays to substantially zero before reaching a portion of the channel  102  containing blood cells. 
         [0024]    In an embodiment according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the apparatus  100  may be configured for hemolysis detection in the whole blood. In this embodiment the first light source  110  has an emission wavelength in a range corresponding to a peak in an absorption spectra of hemoglobin. The emission wavelength of the first light source may be between about 410 nanometers and 420 nanometers, for example. 
         [0025]    The apparatus  100  also includes a first light detector  116  aimed to receive the light from the first light source  110  that has been reflected through the prism  104  from the optical interface  108 . The first light source  110  may include a first light emitting diode and the first light detector  116  may include a first photodiode. In another illustrative embodiment, the first light detector  116  may include a spectroscope, for example. 
         [0026]    Comparison circuitry coupled to the first light detector  116  is configured to identify a presence of analytes in the evanescent field  114  by comparing intensity of the light that has been reflected through the prism  104  at a first wavelength with a predetermined intensity. The predetermined intensity may be an intensity of light emitted from the first light source  110 , for example. The comparison circuitry may include one or more processors coupled to computer memory, data storage devices and/or communication circuitry and/or one or more computer networks. For example, the comparison circuitry may and may include conventional general purpose computer equipment or dedicated circuitry incorporated with an optical analysis module and configured for measuring and/or comparing signals received by the first light detector. The comparison circuitry may also be configured to output and/or store a measured level of analyte based on the measurements and/or comparisons of the signals received by the first light detector, for example. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , an apparatus  200  for detecting analytes in whole blood without red blood cell separation from the whole blood according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a first light source  210  second light source  220  having an emission wavelength different than the emission wavelength of the first light source  210  and directed through the prism  204  to the optical interface  208  at a second angle of incidence greater than or equal to the critical angle relative to the normal of the interface. The second angle of incidence creates total internal reflection of light from the second light source  220  and creates a second evanescent field extending into the channel  202 . In this embodiment, the apparatus  200  also includes a second light detector  226  coupled to the comparison circuitry and aimed to receive the light from the second light source  220  that has been reflected through the prism  204  from the optical interface  208 . In an illustrative embodiment, the comparison circuitry may be configured to compare the intensity of the light received by the first light detector  216  from the first light source  210  with an intensity of the light received by the second light detector  226  from the second light source  210 . 
         [0028]    In an illustrative embodiment, the flow cell  230  may be a conventional flow cell bonded to a conventional prism  204 , for example. The prism  204  may have a rectangular face so that the flow cell  230  can be much longer than the optical path-length through the prism  204 . According to aspects of the present disclosure, the prism  204  and/or the flow cell  230  may be made from injection molded plastic or other inexpensive materials, for example. In alternative embodiment according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the apparatus  200  may include a prism  204  in which the channel  202  may be formed within the prism  204 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , the prism  304  in this embodiment includes a flow cell channel  302  that has been patterned into one face of the prism  304  to produce a measurement region inside the prism  304 . 
         [0029]    An embodiment of the disclosed apparatus may configured as a simple device, having only one or two LEDs or laser diodes as light sources, one or two photo-diodes as light detectors, and a prism. The prism may have an integrated flow cell channel as shown in  FIG. 3 . In an illustrative embodiment, the entire apparatus could be configured in a package having millimeter scale dimensions, for example. 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  shows a graph  400  of light absorbance by a fluid sample having 4.5 grams per deci-liter of free hemoglobin in units of milli-optical density versus wavelength of the detected light. The graph  400  shows an absorption peak  402  of hemoglobin in the blue 410 nm-420 nm portion of the optical spectrum, which is about ten times higher than minor peaks  404  at about 540 nm and  406  at about 570 nm in the green portion of the optical spectrum, and 100 times to 1000 times higher than peaks in the red portion of the optical spectrum. Configuring the light source with a wavelength in the blue 410-420 nm range for hemolysis allows sufficient absorption of the light by hemoglobin in the narrow cell-free boundary of the channel and allows a good signal to noise ratio in the light received by the light detector. 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  shows a graph  500  of light absorbance for three samples having different levels of hemolysis in units of milli-optical density versus wavelength of the detected light. The graph  500  shows a first signal  502  that shows no detectable peak for a sample having no hemolysis. A second signal  504  represents a sample having 2% hemolysis and has a peak of about 4 milli-optical density units in the 410 nm-420 nm range. A third signal  506  represents a sample having 8% hemolysis and has a strong peak of about 18 milli-optical density units in the 410 nm-420 nm range. This shows that detection of absorbed light in the 410 nm-420 nm range by a fluid sample is a strong indicator of an amount of an amount of hemolysis in the sample. 
         [0032]      FIG. 6  shows a graph  600  of absorbance in units of milli-optical density versus response time in seconds for six sample of fluid having different levels of hemolysis. The graph  600  that at a time of (tm) of measurement that is about 4 to 5 seconds after a measurement start time (t 0 ) there is a significant separation of signal levels representing absorption in the 410-420 nm range for distinguishing different levels of hemolysis in a sample. For example at the time of measurement, a first signal  602  representing a first sample having no hemolysis indicates no absorption in the received light at wavelengths of 410 nm-420 nm. At the time of measurement a second signal  604  representing a second sample having 50 mg/dL of hemolysis indicates absorption of about 1 milli-optical density units in the received light at wavelengths of 410 nm-420 nm. At the time of measurement a third signal  606  representing a third sample having 100 mg/dL of hemolysis indicates absorption of about 1.5 milli-optical density units in the received light at wavelengths of 410 nm-420 nm. At the time of measurement a fourth signal  608  representing a fourth sample having 200 mg/dL of hemolysis indicates absorption of about 2.5 milli-optical density units in the received light at wavelengths of 410 nm-420 nm. At the time of measurement a fifth signal  610  representing a fifth sample having 400 mg/dL of hemolysis indicates absorption of about 5 milli-optical density units in the received light at wavelengths of 410 nm-420 nm. At the time of measurement a sixth signal  612  representing a sixth sample having 800 mg/dL of hemolysis indicates absorption of about 11.5 milli-optical density units in the received light at wavelengths of 410 nm-420 nm. 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIG. 7 , another aspect of the present disclosure includes a method  700  for detecting analytes in whole blood without red blood cell separation from the whole blood. At block  702 , the method  700  includes receiving a whole blood sample in a channel. A prism adjacent to the channel includes a first surface abutting the channel and defining an optical interface between the prism and the blood sample when the whole blood sample is received in the channel. At block  704 , the method also includes directing a first light source through a prism to the optical interface at an angle of incidence greater than or equal to a critical angle relative to a normal of the interface. The angle of incidence creates total internal reflection of light from the first light source and creates an evanescent field extending into the channel. At block  706 , the method also includes aiming a first light detector to receive the light from the first light source that has been reflected through the prism from the optical interface. At block  708 , the method includes measuring absorption of the light from the first light source by an analytes in only a plasma layer of the whole blood sample within range of the evanescent field. 
         [0034]    An apparatus for determining an analyte content in blood, according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes an optical boundary between a flowing blood sample and an optically transmissive media, such as a prism, for example. The apparatus includes an evanescent optical field in the flowing blood adjacent to the boundary, and a light detector such as a photo-diode or a spectroscope configured to detect absorption of light in the evanescent field at a wavelength corresponding to an absorption wavelength of the analyte. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the apparatus also includes a light emitter, such as an light emitting diode or other light source, configured to direct light onto the optical boundary at a wavelength corresponding to the absorption wavelength of the analyte and at an angle of incidence selected to provide total internal reflection of the light within the optically transmissive media. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the apparatus also includes a channel containing the flowing blood, wherein the channel is configured to generate a cell free layer of the flowing blood at a boundary of the channel, and wherein the boundary of the channel comprises the optical boundary. 
         [0035]    In an illustrative embodiment the apparatus is configured for determining free hemoglobin content in the cell free layer of the flowing blood. In this embodiment, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the light emitted by the light emitter has a wavelength of between 410 nanometers and 420 nanometers, and the light detector is configured to detect light absorption at wavelengths between 410 nanometers and 420 nanometers. 
         [0036]    Although aspects of the present disclosure are described herein in the context of hemolysis, it should be understood by persons skilled in the art that aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented for detecting various analytes and other constituents in a plasma fraction of body fluid sample.