SELF CALIBRATING BLOOD CHAMBER

摘要

An optical blood monitoring system and corresponding method avoid the need to obtain a precise intensity value of the light impinging upon the measured blood layer during the analysis. The system is operated to determine at least two optical measurements through blood layers of different thickness but otherwise substantially identical systems. Due to the equivalence of the systems, the two measurements can be compared so that the bulk extinction coefficient of the blood can be calculated based only on the known blood layer thicknesses and the two measurements. Reliable measurements of various blood parameters can thereby be determined without certain calibration steps.

主权项

1. A method of optically monitoring a blood constituent, the method comprising:
filling an internal volume of a blood chamber with blood so as to provide first and second blood layers within respective first and second optical paths of a light source, the second blood layer having a thickness along the second optical path that is substantially greater than a thickness of the first blood layer along the first blood path; emitting light of substantially identical intensities along the first and second optical paths so as to pass the light through the respective first and second blood layers within the blood chamber; capturing light passing through the first and second blood layers using respective first and second light sensors respectively disposed in the first and second optical paths; comparing the captured light; and determining a characteristic of the blood constituent from the captured light.