BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITORING METHOD AND WEARABLE BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITORING DEVICE USING SAME

Abstract

Provided are a BG monitoring method and a PPG-based BG monitoring device for same in which a reference sample is prepared by means of preparing a human body substitute dummy and reference blood from which BG is removed and applying quasi-blood to the dummy, the signal amount of each wavelength band with respect to the reference sample to which the reference blood is applied is measured by means of a BG monitoring device, reference signal amount data is obtained and provided as basic data, irradiation light of a plurality of light sources is radiated on a body part of a subject for BG monitoring by means of the BG monitoring device of the present invention, a light-receiving element receives reflected light and scattered light and thus the signal amount of each wavelength band is obtained, a differential signal amount for each wavelength band, which is a corresponding reference signal amount for each wavelength band comprised in the basic data subtracted from the signal amount for each wavelength band with respect to the body part of the subject for BG monitoring, is obtained, and a BG amount corresponding to the differential signal amount for each wavelength band is calculated by means of the correlation between the differential signal amount for each wavelength band and the BG amount.

Claims

1. A BG monitoring device comprising: a plurality of light sources for investigating near infrared lights with different wavelengths to a subject to be measured; light receiving devices for receiving lights reflected and scattered from the subject after being investigated from the plurality of light sources and for converting the received light into an electric signal; and an analyzing module for analyzing the electric signal of the photodiodes, obtaining a signal amount from a pulse wave type signal relative to each wavelength (in a cyclic integration manner), and calculating BG concentration in blood of the subject using a difference value between the signal amount obtained and a predetermined reference signal amount relative to the reference sample.

2. The BG monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising: a green light source for generating green light which is high in absorption level relative to a base component and is little related with BG as a reference light source, besides the plurality of light sources.

3. The BG monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing module uses a mutual ratio of the difference value obtain by each wavelength range of the plurality of light sources as a verification means in order to enhance accuracy in calculation of a BG numerical value.

4. The BG monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the body part is the wrist, and the light receiving devices and the light sources are mounted on a body facing surface of a band worn on the wrist.

5. The BG monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources include at least two light sources among a short near infrared light source with 940 nm wavelength range, a near infrared light source with 1200 nm wavelength range, a near infrared light source with 1450 nm wavelength range, and a near infrared light source with 1700 nm wavelength range.

6. The BG monitoring device according to claim 1, comprising: at least one optical sensor assembly having two light source modules having light sources mounted at both sides of the light receiving device.

7. The BG monitoring device according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one optical sensor assembly in which a light source module having light sources mounted between the light receiving devices.

8. A BG monitoring method for measuring BG level using the BG monitoring device of claim 1, comprising the steps of: preparing a reference sample by applying a reference blood that BG is removed from blood components to a human body substitute dummy; acquiring signal amounts by wavelength ranges relative to the reference sample by the BG monitoring device or other accurate BG monitoring device; acquiring signal amounts by wavelength ranges relative to a body part of a subject to be measured by the BG monitoring device; subtracting the signal amounts by wavelength ranges relative to the reference sample from the signal amounts by wavelength ranges relative to the body part of the subject to be measured, and deducing differential signal amounts by wavelength ranges; and calculating the BG level using the differential signal amounts by wavelength ranges.

9. The BG monitoring method according to claim 8, wherein the BG monitoring device further includes a light source with green light wavelength range (530 nm) in a visible light region as the reference light source in order to measure signal amounts besides the plurality of light sources, in consideration of transition by the base component, wherein a step of adjusting in such a way that the signal amounts relative to the reference sample becomes equal to the signal amounts measured relative to the body part of the subject to be measured with respect to the projected light of the reference light source, and adjusting the signal amounts by each wavelength range relative to the body part of the subject to be measured is further included, and wherein the step of subtracting the signal amounts by wavelength range relative to the reference sample from the signal amounts by wavelength range relative to the body part of the subject to be measured, and deducing differential signal amounts by wavelength range deduces the differential signal amounts by wavelength range using the adjusted signal amounts by wavelength range.

10. The BG monitoring method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of: inspecting the mutual ratio between the differential signal amounts by wavelength ranges and checking whether or not the mutual ratio accords with the signal amount rate in the wavelength ranges relative to the BG after the step of deducing the differential signal amounts by the remaining wavelength range.

11. The BG monitoring method according to claim 8, wherein the step of preparing a reference sample by applying a reference blood that BG is removed from blood components to a human body substitute dummy and the step of acquiring signal amounts by wavelength ranges relative to the reference sample by the BG monitoring device or other accurate BG monitoring device are previously carried out before measuring the subject to be measured, so that the reference data is stored in the analyzing module and is prepared in such a way as to be drawn out and carry out comparison in case of necessity.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0037] FIG. 1 is a graph showing a general photoplethysmographic change and a change of pure AC component by a photo-plethysmography.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a relationship graph showing a relationship between several chemical combinations in blood components and near infrared wavelength having a great reaction to the chemical combinations in an absorption spectrum form.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a graph showing an example of a reference curve showing a change in signal amount according to a wavelength change obtained by applying reference blood to a dummy.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of a differential signal amount.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing a schematic configuration of a BG monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 6 is a bottom side view showing the BG monitoring device based on a photo-plethysmography according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a conceptually sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 6.

[0044] FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the BG monitoring device having a different arrangement of light sources and a photodiode.

[0045] FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a glucose monitoring method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

MODE FOR INVENTION

[0046] Hereinafter, reference will be now mentioned in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

[0047] FIG. 2 is a relationship graph showing a relationship between several combinations in chemical materials and near infrared wavelength showing an absorption peak by greatly reacting to the chemical combinations in an absorption spectrum form.

[0048] Here, according to the drawing, it is shown that the absorption peak is strong relative to several wavelength ranges, such as red light with a 660 nm wavelength range, short near infrared light with a 940 nm wavelength range, near infrared light with a 1408 nm wavelength range, and near infrared light with a 1688 nm wavelength range.

[0049] Here, not shown in the drawings, when the red light with 660 nm wavelength is used, a strong light absorption by oxidized hemoglobin is generated, and when the short near-infrared light with 940 nm wavelength range is used, a strong light absorption by hemoglobin is generated so that we can find oxygen concentration or oxygen saturation of blood. Therefore, the concept that red light of 660 nm and a short near infrared light of 940 nm are used to carry out pulseoximetry and a light source with a single wavelength and a photodiode (PD) are used to measure a heart rate in a smart band or a smart watch is disclosed conventionally. And blood pressure and relevant characteristics are calculated additionally using the above relationship graph and it may be an index related with not only BG but also pulse, blood pressure, and blood vessel.

[0050] Here, with respect to near-infrared rays with the above-mentioned wavelength range, an energy band which is easily absorbable by chemical combination of ROH, AROH, CH and so on is overlapped to the 940 nm wavelength range, an energy band which is easily absorbable by chemical combination of H.sub.2O, ROH, ArOH, CH.sub.2, CH.sub.3 and so on is overlapped to the 940 nm wavelength range, and an energy band which is easily absorbable by chemical combination of CH, CH.sub.2, CH.sub.3 and so on is overlapped to the 1688 nm wavelength range.

[0051] The absorption level in the wavelength range of various materials including glucose has been widely known by the existing infrared spectroscopy, and mutual ratios of the absorption levels in the wavelength ranges are nearly uniform.

[0052] The present invention measures glucose concentration or the BG level in blood using such infrared spectroscopic data. However, blood includes various materials including water, blood plasmas, and blood cells, and especially, if the PPG is used, because light getting out of the light source reaches blood after passing through the skin and other human tissues, the PPG performs infrared spectroscopy to the skin, the human tissues and the blood whenever BG is measured. Therefore, in order to measure BG, the basic data of the above materials must be considered, and it requires lots of efforts to measure BG.

[0053] Therefore, when the present invention uses the infrared spectroscopy, for more simple analysis, the present invention does not absolutely analyze blood which is to be measured but carries out infrared spectroscopy to a subject (reference) of a base state on the basis of standard blood or reference blood from which BG is removed so as to obtain a base data or a reference graph, and then, the data is previously inputted into an analyzing module.

[0054] Additionally, in the present invention, infrared spectroscopy is carried out to the subject's blood including BG while keeping conditions except for BG of the reference subject to be the most similar, so as to obtain a subject-related data or a subject-related graph.

[0055] Here, the present invention use the PPG type device and projects infrared light to the human body and the photodiode receives and analyzes the light reflected and scattered from the human body in order to measure the BG level of the subject. During measurement, instant reflection and intensity of scattered light are changed according to a blood flow rate, and the blood flow rate is changed depending on changes of pulse waves by time.

[0056] However, because the BG level is uniform even though the change of pulse waves rises, in order to obtain a stable value, the present invention does not use instant reflection and intensity of scattered light in measurement of the BG level, but uses a signal amount as an integral value or an average time value obtained when an amount of instant signals, for instance, an amount of light absorption is integrated relative to one cycle on the premise that the pulse waves are stable and cyclic (hereinafter, the terms of signal amount means an integral value).

[0057] First, in order to measure the standard blood from which BG is removed, a subject to be measured by a glucose monitoring device is prepared. However, if the glucose monitoring device is mounted on the wrist of a human body, near infrared light investigated from the glucose monitoring device passes a route including materials influencing on the DC component, such as the skin, cutaneous tissues. So, in order to measure BG in a noninvasive manner, a value (signal amount) obtained in such a way that near infrared light is projected only to the standard blood and reflected and scattered light is received and measured cannot be used as the reference value.

[0058] Therefore, ideally, it is good to obtain a reference value (signal amount) by applying the standard blood to a target part of the human body to be measured. However, because it is not practically possible to apply the standard blood to the human body, a base is formed in such a way as to make a dummy having conditions similar to the target part of the human body to be measured and apply the standard blood to the dummy, and a reference value is obtained using the base. Such a dummy may be made using a pig's body part having little subcutaneous fat, which is very similar to the human body in components. The original blood is removed and the standard blood is injected into the blood vessel of the dummy so as to create the dummy similar to the blood vessel of the human body.

[0059] In order to measure the reference value by applying the infrared spectroscopy to the dummy, near infrared light including a near infrared band to be used first is projected to the dummy, the photodiode receives reflected and scattered light, and then, data on the size of the signal amount by wavelength bands is obtained and stored by an analyzing module. In this instance, since there is no change in a pulse wave form, the signal amount is obtained by an integral value which the uniform instant signal amount is simply multiplied by the pulse wave cycle (time).

[0060] The data may be expressed in the form of a numerical value of the signal amount relative to the plurality of light sources by wavelength bands to be measured by the PPG type glucose monitoring device, but preferably, may be expressed in a continuous graph curve which continues the numerical value of the signal amount relative to a continuous wave range including the wavelength band, or a subdivided wavelength band. In this instance, in order to measure the continuous wavelength band, an NIR spectrometer may be used.

[0061] The graph curve greatly depends on sensing characteristics (sensitivity by wavelength range) of the light receiving device, namely, the photodiode, and mutual ratios of the signal amounts by the wavelength ranges to be measured may not form a simple linear relationship like a simple proportional relationship. In this aspect, when the NIR spectrometer is used, it is preferable that the photodiode for measurement have the same characteristics as the photodiode of the glucose monitoring device.

[0062] In order to make a reference curve (graph curve), a plurality of reference curves are made by the size of the signal amount while adjusting the signal amount obtained through a method of controlling the quantity of light of the light source of the measuring device, such as the NIR spectrometer, and then, are used to acquire the BG level. When the reference curve relative to two neighboring signal amounts is created, a reference curve between the two signal amounts may be made presumptively, and it is also possible to obtain the reference curve in all signal amount levels through the above work, which is known commonly. A statistic technique may be applied to the work, and deduction using an artificial neural network is also possible. Such a method may be achieved using an application program embedded in the analyzing module in the glucose monitoring device, so necessary base data may be stored in a memory of the BG analyzing module.

[0063] FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of such a reference curve.

[0064] The reference curve is the sum of the signal amounts in a near infrared area by various materials of the base, and peaks of the signal amounts by the materials are all involved therein. In order to make the reference curve accurate and delicate, besides the work to measure the signal amount while changing by applying near infrared light to the dummy in the near infrared band, work to check an aspect of the peak of a signal amount change curve according to wavelength of near infrared light relative to the previously known components to check and verify whether measurement is carried out correctly may be accomplished.

[0065] Of course, the reference value may be data of a discrete value set like the signal amount value (numerical value) by wavelength range to be measured as well as the reference curve. As described above, the reference value is inputted to the memory of the BG analyzing module in various forms (the graph curve, the simple numerical data, or others).

[0066] When the obtained reference value is prepared as the standard for measurement, the body part of the subject to be measured is measured. For measurement, the glucose monitoring device of the present invention is used, a signal amount by each wavelength range related with the plurality of embedded light sources is obtained by the glucose monitoring device.

[0067] Moreover, a reference signal amount is subtracted from the signal amount of the subject to be measured by each wavelength range in order to calculate and obtain a differential signal amount by wavelength range.

[0068] A result of the calculation may be expressed into a peak graph like the form shown in FIG. 4.

[0069] In this instance, ideally, the signal amount forming the reference value in the wavelength range which does not relate to BG is exactly the same as the signal amount measured relative to the subject to be measured and has the value of 0.

[0070] However, due to differences between the dummy and the human body in quantitative and qualitative aspects, it is difficult that the differential signal value relative to the reference light source becomes zero even though the signal value is obtained in the same measurement condition. The reference and the measuring device relative to the subject to be measured have sameness qualitatively, but if there is a difference in scale, the intensity of radiation of the light source, the intensity of the photodiode, and other may have an influence on the size of the signal amount.

[0071] Therefore, in order to obtain the differential signal amount, the signal value obtained in the same measurement condition, for instance, under the condition that the same output is applied to the light sources, with respect to the reference subject (dummy) and the subject to be measured is not used, the reference curve or the reference signal amount set having the same signal amount as the signal amount obtain as the result that the subject to be measured is measured by the glucose monitoring device of the present invention in the wavelength range of the reference light is selected so as to obtain the differential signal amount in each wavelength range related with the plurality of light sources of the glucose monitoring device, and the differential signal amount is used to calculate the BG amount.

[0072] In other words, because it ignores a physical difference or a base difference between the dummy and the subject to be measured to detect the signal mounts by wavelength ranges of the dummy and the subject to be measured under the same condition using the glucose monitoring device of the present invention, derive the differential signal amounts by wavelength ranges, and calculate the BG amount under the assumption that the values are all related with the BG amount, there is a problem. In this instance, it is required to match the level of the signal amount using light of the wavelength range which is not related with BG.

[0073] For this, in the glucose monitoring device of the present invention, a light source, for instance, a green light source, for generating light of a visible light area, in which light is easily absorbed by the base part of the human body, together with the plurality of light sources for generating lights of different near infrared areas, is mounted on a first optical sensor assembly as a reference light source. In this instance, as conceptually mentioned above, it may be considered that the base part comprehensively expresses a part influencing on the size of the signal amount as well as BG.

[0074] The green light does not express particular absorption level with respect to chemical combination related with BG. However, because a range of fluctuation of a reflection level or an absorption level by the materials forming the base is great, the green light may be a reference to recognize the fluctuation in signal amount by the base and correct the signal amount in each wavelength range.

[0075] For example, when a reference signal amount data in the form of the reference curve (a continuous form) or the discrete reference signal amount set (discontinuous specific values) by output of the light source while varying light intensity of the plurality of light sources or the output level applied to the light sources, reference signal amounts by output levels relative to green light are obtained. Furthermore, the measuring device obtains also a signal amount value relative to the body part of the subject to be measured by green light in order to find a reference signal amount which is on par with the signal amount of the subject to be measured. Next, the measuring device find an output level for expressing the reference signal amount, and finds the reference signal amount set by wavelength range by the plurality of light sources when such an output level is applied. Additionally, the BG measuring device obtains a differential signal amount set compared with the signal amount set by wavelength range measured relative to the body part of the subject to be measured.

[0076] Adjustment (selection) of the reference signal amounts by wavelength range can be carried out by a process of deducting reference signal amounts relative to green light when the above-mentioned base data is deducted, and then, adopting the reference signal amounts by wavelength range related with a proper reference signal amount relative to green light by using the obtained base data.

[0077] Of course, such a process may be automatically carried out through the application program embedded in the BG analyzing module.

[0078] After the differential signal amount by each wavelength range is obtained through the above process, BG of the subject to be measured can be calculated using the size of the differential signal amount. For this, as preliminary work, an associative relationship of the differential signal amount according to changes in BG amount may be obtained through a clinical test as one of base data.

[0079] That is, if the differential signal amounts relative to blood with various BG amounts are obtained and the associative relationship between the BG amounts and the differential signal amounts are obtained by using multiple regression analysis or artificial neural network to obtain the differential signal amounts, the analyzing module can directly calculate the BG amount.

[0080] In this instance, in order to calculate the BG amount, it may be in question to select which one in the differential signal amounts to wavelength ranges. Ideally, the same BG amount must be acquired even though the differential signal amount is selected in any wavelength range.

[0081] However, there is possibility that the BG amounts obtained by the differential signal amounts by wavelength ranges are different from each other because the signal amount value measured relative to the subject to be measured is wrong from the start or an element besides BG enters not to be suitable for measurement of the BG amount. In this instance, it is difficult to calculate the BG amount accurately.

[0082] Therefore, in order to measure the BG amount accurately, the present invention further includes a step of verifying a mutual ratio between the differential signal amounts by wavelength ranges before calculating the BG amount.

[0083] Because various ratio verifications can be achieved when there are many light sources for projecting light of different near infrared wavelength ranges, it is more likely to secure accurate measurement of the BG amount through intercomparison. However, in consideration of cost-effectiveness of manufacturing the devices, preferably, the number of the light sources is limited to have the wavelength band specialized for detecting BG.

[0084] That is, in general, for infrared spectrometry, light sources for projecting light with continuous wavelength are used. However, in this embodiment, in order to simplify the optical structure and effectively sense and easily analyze signals, infrared light sources which are specialized for BG or which can easily and stably absorb chemical combination in the BG related materials are selected to measure BG.

[0085] The plurality of photodiodes by wavelength which are sensitive to infrared light may be also used. Of course, it is also possible to measure the absorption level of blood of the subject to be measured with respect to light with the specific wavelength band in a time-sharing method by using the photodiodes with a single characteristic. When the light source of the first wavelength is turned on by adjustment of four light sources and the photodiodes while the analyzing module is controlled by the program, it is recorded that light sensed by the photodiodes is reflected light or scattered light by the first wavelength light, and it is recorded that light sensed by the photodiodes within a predetermined period of time after second, third and fourth light sources are operated by the predetermined period of time is reflected light or scattered light by light of the corresponding wavelength band.

[0086] In order to correct an influence by surrounding light besides the light sources, a method of turning off the four light sources, measuring intensity of light sensed by the photodiode, and obtaining pure intensity of light by wavelength corrected by subtracting the intensity of the sensed light from the intensity sensed when each light source projected light may be also used.

[0087] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing a schematic configuration of a BG monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a bottom side view showing the BG monitoring device based on a photo-plethysmography according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a conceptually sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 6.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 5, the blood pressure measuring device has two sets of optical sensor assemblies 10 (10a and 10b). Each optical sensor assembly includes three LEDs which are three light sources 30; an LED driver for switching the LEDs or adjusting intensity of the LEDs; two photodiodes as light receiving devices 20 and 40 for receiving scattered or reflected light and generating an electric signal after the light sources project light to a user's body part; two trans-impedance amplifiers (TIA) 11 arranged in a route for acquiring the signal in order to treat the output signal of the photodiodes; a programmable gain amplifier (PGA) 13; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 15. The first optical sensor assembly 10a located at the upper part may be a master, and the second optical sensor assembly 10b located at the lower part may be a slave.

[0089] The output signal converted after passing the elements (TIA, PGA and ADC) in each optical sensor assembly is inputted to the common processor 70, and is processed to obtain information for measuring BG from pulse waves. The processor 70 is divided into a digital signal processor (DSP) 73 and a micro-controller unit (MCU) 71. The processor 70 serves to adjust a controller or an LED driver 17 for sending an LED signal to the LEDs, and a memory 90 and a communication unit 80 are connected to the processor.

[0090] Not shown in the drawing, but the processor performs various actions, for instance, lighting of the light sources by prefilled program and reference data, output of the photodiodes, calculation of a signal amount by waveform integration by each wavelength range for calculating BG, and obtaining a BG value by substituting to a formula based on the size of the differential signal amount by frequencies related with BG obtained through comparison with the reference data.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 6, the optical sensor assemblies 10 are divided into two areas, are located at the upper part and a lower part on the bottom surface, and has three light sources 31, 32 and 33 located at the center of the upper optical sensor assembly 10a, three light sources 34, 35 and 36 located at the center of the lower optical sensor assembly 10b, and the two photodiodes 20 and 40 are mounted at the right and left sides of the light source one by one.

[0092] The upper optical sensor assembly 10a includes a green light source 31 with 530 nm wavelength range in a visible ray area, a red light source 32 with 660 nm wavelength range, and a near-infrared light source 33 with 940 nm wavelength range, wherein the light sources are mounted vertically, and the photodiodes 20 disposed at both sides use a photodiode based on a silicon (Si) wafer.

[0093] In the lower optical sensor assembly, the near-infrared light sources 34 and 35 with 1200 nm and 1450 nm wavelength ranges and the near-infrared light source 36 with 1700 nm wavelength range are mounted vertically, and the photodiodes 40 disposed at both sides use the photodiodes based on an indium, gallium and arsenic (InGaAs) wafer with excellent sensitivity to the rays with the wavelength ranges.

[0094] Of course, it is also possible to form the optical sensor assembly by adding a light source with different near-infrared wavelength range, removing some of the light sources to reduce the number of the light sources, or replacing with a light source with another wavelength range, for instance, the light source with 1450 nm wavelength range may be substituted with a light source with 1100 nm wavelength range. Such a selection is made based on the common standard that there is a light absorption range related with BG to detect the BG level the most distinctly. However, development easiness, such as expenses, element stability, commercialization, and so on, may be considered practically.

[0095] When the photodiodes are arranged at both sides of the light source, because sensing ability of the photodiodes may be not satisfied with the sensing ability of the existing commercial photodiodes, the number of the photodiodes is increased to accurately analyze signals.

[0096] Moreover, when the BG monitoring device is worn in the form of a wrist band or a watch, there may be a change in wearing position, or the position of the artery may not match the position of the light source and the photodiode. So, in order to solve the problem, the arrangement of the photodiode is made so that even one photodiode can receive the reflected light signal and the scattered light signal.

[0097] FIG. 7 is a side sectional view taken along the line of AA of FIG. 6.

[0098] A hemispherical convex lens 60 is formed above the LED used as the red light source 32 in order to raise concentration of light projected toward the body part, and a diffractive optical element lens 50 which may be a condensing lens is mounted above the photodiode, which is the photodiode 20, in order to focus light entering from the outside. The photodiode is mounted wider than the LEDs in order to increase a light receiving amount. If the convex lens 60 is mounted above the photodiode, it is difficult to make the BG monitoring device light, small, short and thin due to its height. So, the DOE lens 50 is mounted.

[0099] The BG monitoring device of the wrist band type may have additional function part besides an optical noninvasive continuous vital sign monitoring function. For instance, a digital thermometer or a 3D accelerometer may be added in order to monitor other body conditions, physical movement states, or a hurt from a fall. Through the above, the BG monitoring device can analyze correlation with a vital sign trend and monitor an unexpected fluctuation so as to provide the wearer and a medical officer with a warning or am attention signal.

[0100] FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the BG monitoring device having a different arrangement of the light sources and the photodiode.

[0101] The optical sensor assembly 10 includes an upper optical sensor assembly 10a and a lower optical sensor assembly 10b. Photodiodes 20 and 40 are located in the middle from the two optical sensor assemblies, and three light source modules 30 and 30 respectively having three light sources generating lights with different wavelengths are located at both sides of the photodiodes 20 and 40. The light source modules located at both sides may be the same light source module generating light with the same wavelength, or may be different light source modules with different wavelengths.

[0102] Of course, regardless of the case that the different light source modules having different wavelengths are mounted at both sides of the optical sensor assemblies and the case that the light source modules having the same wavelength are mounted at both sides of the optical sensor assemblies, the photodiodes 20 and 40 must differentiate and recognize lights with different wavelengths, and an analyzing module capable of differentiating and recognizing the lights with different wavelengths must be prepared.

[0103] In this embodiment, the same light source modules are used at both sides of the optical sensor assemblies, and in this case, lights of the plural wavelengths emitted from the light source modules shine the body part of the subject to be measured, are reflected or scattered, and then, enter the photodiode.

[0104] The light sources 30 of the light source modules located at both sides of the photodiode 20 includes a green light source 31 with 530 nm wavelength range in a visible ray region, a red light source 32 with 660 nm wavelength range, and a short near infrared light source 33 with 940 nm wavelength range, which are mounted vertically. The photodiode 20 located in the middle of the light sources is based on a silicon (Si) wafer.

[0105] The light sources 30 of the light source modules located at both sides of the photodiode 40 includes near infrared light sources 34 and 35 with 1200 nm and 1450 nm wavelength ranges, and a near infrared light source 36 with 1700 nm wavelength range, which are mounted vertically. The photodiode 40 located in the middle of the light sources is based on an indium, gallium and arsenic (InGaAs) wafer with excellent sensitivity to the rays with the wavelength ranges.

[0106] In this instance, it is preferable that detection signals relative to the light sources 31, 32 and 33 of the photodiodes 20 based on the silicon wafer and detection signals relative to the light sources 34, 35 and 36 of the photodiode 40 based on the InGaAs wafer adjust a light receiving area so as to be shown in similar sizes by the analyzing module or adjust sensitivity of the photodiodes. Because light with long wavelength may have small optical energy, it is preferable to adjust the photodiode 40 to be increased in area or sensitivity.

[0107] Because the photodiodes sense the sum of lights emitted from the light source modules, the photodiodes receive light twice as much as the photodiodes shown in FIG. 6 that the two photodiodes receive light emitted from one light source module. Therefore, the photodiodes shown in FIG. 8 are less sensitive to external environment and are easy to sense, can obtain an average value to reduce transition by body parts since sensing the sum of reflected lights from two parts of the human body even if there is a delicate difference between the reflected lights and scattered lights by a small difference between body parts. So, the photodiodes shown in FIG. 8 can enhance stability in monitored values.

[0108] FIG. 9 is a schematic flow chart showing a glucose monitoring method according to the present invention.

[0109] First, a human body substitute dummy and a reference blood from which BG is removed are prepared, and a reference sample that the reference blood is applied to the dummy is prepared (S10).

[0110] Moreover, the BG monitoring device measures a signal amount by wavelength relative to the reference sample to which the reference blood is applied in order to obtain a reference signal amount data (S20). The reference signal amount data may be used as basic material data in the glucose monitoring device in the form of a reference curve by obtaining the reference signal amount relative to all wavelength ranges in substance while densely projecting lights with plural wavelength ranges using a near infrared spectrometer, and may be used as basic material data in the glucose monitoring device in the form of individual reference signal amount set by obtaining the reference signal amount relative to the lights of the light sources with major wavelength ranges of the BG monitoring device. Additionally, the BG monitoring device obtains a plurality of reference curves or individual reference sets by intensity of projected light while varying intensity of projected light or the energy level.

[0111] Next the BG monitoring device projects lights of the light sources to the body part of the subject to be measured and obtains the signal amount by wavelength range when the photodiodes receive reflected light and scattered light (S30).

[0112] The reference signal amount by corresponding wavelength range included in the basic material data is subtracted from the subject signal amount by wavelength range relative to the body part of the subject to be measured, and then, a differential signal amount by the remaining wavelength range is deduced. (S40).

[0113] In this instance, if the reference signal amount in the wavelength range of the light of the reference light source is not equal to the subject signal amount obtained relative to the body part of the subject to be measured using the green light of the reference light source, in order to make the signal amount level equal, the reference curve or the individual reference signal amount set of the basic material data is selected to deduce the differential signal amount by wavelength range using the reference signal amount included in the reference curve or the individual signal amount set.

[0114] After the step of deducing the differential signal amount by wavelength, the BG monitoring device checks a mutual ratio between the differential signal amounts by wavelength ranges, and reviews whether or not the rate corresponds to a signal amount rate in wavelength ranges shown by BG (S50). The above step enhance accuracy in BG measurement, and is to prevent disturbance in measurement of BG level by unexpected factors, but is not necessary.

[0115] Next, the BG level is calculated using the differential signal amount by wavelength range (S60). If the differential signal amount is big, the BG level is increased. In order to calculate BG level more accurately, correlation between the differential signal amount and the BG level is previously checked so as to be the basic material data embedded in the BG analyzing module, and the BG level can be calculated using the correlation.

[0116] While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the above embodiments of the present invention are all exemplified and the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments.

[0117] Therefore, it will be also understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the technical idea and scope of the present invention and such changes and modifications belong to the claims of the present invention.