초록 ▼

An implantable product such as an article, device, or system can include analyte and non-analyte containers in parts that can be operated as optical cavities. The product can also include fluidic components such as filter assemblies that control transfer of objects that affect or shift spectrum feat

An implantable product such as an article, device, or system can include analyte and non-analyte containers in parts that can be operated as optical cavities. The product can also include fluidic components such as filter assemblies that control transfer of objects that affect or shift spectrum features or characteristics such as by shifting transmission mode peaks or reflection mode valleys, shifting phase, reducing maxima or contrast, or increasing intermediate intensity width such as full width half maximum (FWHM). Analyte, e.g. glucose molecules, can be predominantly included in a set of objects that transfer more rapidly into the analyte container than other objects, and can have a negligible or zero rate of transfer into the non-analyte container; objects that transfer more rapidly into the non-analyte container can include objects smaller than the analyte or molecules of a set of selected types, including, e.g., sodium chloride. Output light from the containers accordingly includes information about analyte.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An implantable article comprising: first and second parts; each of the first and second parts including a respective container and being operable as an optical cavity with a respective optical spectrum characteristic that can be affected by presence of spectrum-affecting objects in the container;

1. An implantable article comprising: first and second parts; each of the first and second parts including a respective container and being operable as an optical cavity with a respective optical spectrum characteristic that can be affected by presence of spectrum-affecting objects in the container; the respective container having a respective set of one or more bounding regions through which objects in bodily fluid can transfer between the container's interior and exterior when the article is implanted in a body; andfirst and second fluidic components that control transfer of objects in bodily fluid through the respective bounding regions of the first and second parts, respectively; the first fluidic component permitting transfer of a first set of the spectrum-affecting objects into the first container at a more rapid rate than spectrum-affecting objects not in the first set; the second fluidic component permitting transfer of a second set of the spectrum-affecting objects into the second container at a more rapid rate than spectrum-affecting objects not in the second set; the first and second sets of spectrum-affecting objects both including a shared subset; the first set including a non-shared subset that the second set does not include; objects that are instances of an analyte type being predominantly in the non-shared subset. 2. The article of claim 1 in which the first and second parts include respective first and second unattached sides disposed away from each other, respective first and second attached sides disposed toward each other, and respective first and second lateral surfaces extending between the first and second unattached and attached sides, respectively; the first and second fluidic components including respective first and second filter assemblies, respectively, each permitting transfer through an area equal to approximately 75% or more of the area of the respective lateral surface. 3. The article of claim 1 in which the first and second fluidic components include first and second filter assemblies, respectively, each including a respective large molecule filter that prevents transfer of large molecules, the second filter assembly further including at least one of: a small molecule filter that permits transfer only of small molecules; anda selective filter that permits transfer only of a set of selected types of molecules. 4. The article of claim 1, further comprising: an incident light surface that, in operation when the article is implanted in a body, can receive incident light in an incident direction from outside a surface region of the body; each of the first and second parts and the incident light surface being configured so that the part can respond to incident light in the incident direction by operating as an optical cavity providing respective output light in one or more transmission and reflection modes, the output light indicating information about contents of the part's container. 5. The article of claim 4, further comprising: a reflection component; the first and second parts and the reflection component being configured so that the reflection component can receive transmission mode output light provided in the incident direction and reflect the transmission mode output light in an exit direction toward the surface region of the body, the exit direction being approximately opposite the incident direction. 6. The article of claim 1, further comprising: a light source that, in operation when the article is implanted in a body, provides a light beam; andan optical component that receives and divides the light beam into partial beams and provides first and second partial beams to the first and second parts, respectively. 7. The article of claim 6 in which the light source is a laser and the optical component further performs at least one of: collimating the light beam from the light source before dividing it into partial light beams; andcollimating the first and second partial beams before providing them to the first and second parts. 8. The article of claim 1 in which each of the first and second parts further includes: one or more respective interface surfaces at which the part can receive input light and/or provide output light when operating as an optical cavity; each of the first and second parts, when operating as an optical cavity, can receive input light through one of its interface surfaces in any of a set of respective entry directions and provide output light through one of its interface surfaces in any of a set of respective exit directions; in operation as an optical cavity in response to input light at one of its set of entry directions, each part's exit direction being one of:approximately the same as the entry direction;approximately opposite to the entry direction; andoblique to the entry direction. 9. The article of claim 8 in which, in response to input light in the entry direction, each part's exit direction is approximately opposite or oblique to the entry direction; each of the first and second parts providing reflection mode output light, receiving input light and providing output light through the same one of its interface surfaces. 10. The article of claim 9 in which the first and second parts have interface surfaces that are one of: aligned with each other;oblique to each other. 11. The article of claim 8 in which each of the first and second parts provides transmission mode output light; the article further comprising: a reflection component; the first and second parts and the reflection component being configured so that at least one of:the reflection component receives incident light received in an incident direction and, in response, provides input light in the entry direction, the incident direction being different than the entry direction; andthe reflection component receives transmission mode output light provided by the first and second parts in the exit direction and, in response, provides reflected output light in an reflected direction different than the exit direction. 12. An implantable article comprising: first and second parts; each of the first and second parts including a respective container and being operable as an optical cavity with a respective optical spectrum characteristic that can be affected by presence of spectrum-affecting objects in the container; the respective container having a respective set of one or more bounding regions through which objects in bodily fluid can transfer between the container's interior and exterior when the article is implanted in a body;first and second fluidic components that control transfer of objects in bodily fluid through the respective bounding regions of the first and second parts, respectively; the first fluidic component permitting transfer of a first set of the spectrum-affecting objects into the first container at a more rapid rate than spectrum-affecting objects not in the first set; the second fluidic component permitting transfer of a second set of the spectrum-affecting objects into the second container at a more rapid rate than spectrum-affecting objects not in the second set; the first and second sets of spectrum-affecting objects both including a shared subset; the first set including a non-shared subset that the second set does not include; objects that are instances of an analyte type being predominantly in the non-shared subset; anda third part that is operable as a reference optical cavity with a respective optical spectrum characteristic; in operation, spectrum-affecting objects in bodily fluid not transferring into the third part. 13. The article of claim 12 in which the third part is between the first and second parts; the first and second parts having respective first and second non-optical sides disposed away from each other; the first and second fluidic components including filter assemblies at the first and second non-optical sides, respectively. 14. A method comprising: controlling transfer of objects in bodily fluid between interior and exterior of at least two of a set of containers implanted in a body; each container being in a respective part of an implantable article, the respective part being operable as an optical cavity; each of first and second containers in the set having a respective set of one or more bounding regions through which objects in bodily fluid can transfer between the container's exterior and interior; andoperating the respective part of each of at least the first and second containers as an optical cavity to provide output light in which a respective spectrum characteristic is affected by presence of spectrum-affecting objects in the container; the act of controlling transfer of objects in bodily fluid comprising: permitting transfer of a first set of the spectrum-affecting objects into the first container through its respective set of bounding regions at a more rapid rate than spectrum-affecting objects that are not in the first set; andpermitting transfer of a second set of the spectrum-affecting objects into the second container through its respective set of bounding regions at a more rapid rate than spectrum-affecting objects that are not in the second set;the first and second sets of spectrum-affecting objects both including a shared subset; the first set including a non-shared subset that the second set does not include; objects that are instances of an analyte type being predominantly in the non-shared subset; output light from the first and second containers together including information about spectrum-affecting objects of the analyte type. 15. The method of claim 14 in which the shared subset includes predominantly molecules of a set of selected types. 16. The method of claim 15 in which the set of selected types includes sodium chloride molecules. 17. The method of claim 14 in which the analyte type is glucose molecules; the method further comprising: photosensing output light from respective parts of the first and second containers and using sensing results to obtain information about glucose concentration in the bodily fluid. 18. The method of claim 14 in which act of operating the respective part of each of at least the first and second containers as an optical cavity comprises a series of iterations, each iteration including: illuminating the respective parts of the first and second containers at a respective photon energy for the iteration; the respective photon energies of at least two of the iterations being different from each other. 19. The method of claim 18 in which the act of illuminating is performed with a tunable laser, the tunable laser's photon energy changing between a preceding iteration and a following iteration. 20. The method of claim 14, further comprising: for each container, obtaining optical-based data indicating information about the respective part's spectrum characteristic; for at least one container, obtaining electrical-based data indicating information about the respective part's electrical characteristic; andusing the optical-based data and the electrical-based data to obtain information about spectrum-affecting objects of the analyte type. 21. A method comprising: controlling transfer of objects in bodily fluid between interior and exterior of at least two of a set of containers implanted in a body; each container being in a respective part of an implantable article, the respective part being operable as an optical cavity; each of first and second containers in the set having a respective set of one or more bounding regions through which objects in bodily fluid can transfer between the container's exterior and interior;operating the respective part of each of at least the first and second containers as an optical cavity to provide output light in which a respective spectrum characteristic is affected by presence of spectrum-affecting objects in the container; the act of controlling transfer of objects in bodily fluid comprising: permitting transfer of a first set of the spectrum-affecting objects into the first container through its respective set of bounding regions at a more rapid rate than spectrum-affecting objects that are not in the first set; andpermitting transfer of a second set of the spectrum-affecting objects into the second container through its respective set of bounding regions at a more rapid rate than spectrum-affecting objects that are not in the second set;photosensing output light from respective parts of the first and second containers; andusing sensing results to obtain information about glucose concentration in the bodily fluid;the analyte type is glucose molecules; the first and second sets of spectrum-affecting objects both including a shared subset; the first set including a non-shared subset that the second set does not include; objects that are instances of an analyte type being predominantly in the non-shared subset; output light from the first and second containers together including information about spectrum-affecting objects of the analyte type;wherein the implantable article further includes a third part operable as a reference optical cavity with a respective spectrum characteristic; in each of the parts, the respective spectrum characteristic being shifted by spectrum-affecting objects; the act of photosensing output light from the first and second parts and using sensing result comprising:obtaining first, second, and third shift values for the first, second, and third containers, respectively;using the second and third shift values to obtain an absolute measurement; andusing the absolute measurement and the first shift value to obtain the information about glucose concentration. 22. A method comprising: controlling transfer of objects in bodily fluid between interior and exterior of at least two of a set of containers implanted in a body; each container being in a respective part of an implantable article, the respective part being operable as an optical cavity that provides output light; each of first and second containers in the set of containers having a respective set of one or more bounding regions through which objects in bodily fluid can transfer between the container's exterior and interior; andoperating the respective part of each of at least the first and second containers to provide output light in which a respective optical spectrum feature is shifted by presence of spectrum shifting objects in the container;the act of controlling transfer of objects in bodily fluid comprising:permitting transfer of a first set of the spectrum-shifting objects into the first container through its respective set of bounding regions at a more rapid rate than spectrum-shifting objects that are not in the first set; andpermitting transfer of a second set of the spectrum-shifting objects into the second container through its respective set of bounding regions at a more rapid rate than spectrum-shifting objects that are not in the second set;the first and second sets of spectrum-shifting objects both including a shared subset; the first set including a non-shared subset that the second set does not include; objects that are in an analyte set being predominantly in the non-shared subset; output light from the first and second containers together including information about spectrum-shifting objects in the analyte set. 23. A method of making an implantable product, the method comprising: producing an optical cavity structure that includes first and second optical cavity parts, each operable as an optical cavity; the act of producing the optical cavity structure comprising:producing each of the first and second optical cavity parts to include a respective container having a set of one or more bounding regions through which objects in bodily fluid can transfer between the container's interior and exterior when the product is implanted in a body and, when operated as an optical cavity, to have a respective optical spectrum characteristic that can be affected by presence of spectrum-affecting objects in the container; andattaching first and second fluidic components to the first and second parts, respectively; when the product is implanted in a body, the first and second fluidic components controlling transfer of objects in bodily fluid through the respective bounding regions of the first and second parts, respectively; the first fluidic component permitting transfer of a first set of the spectrum-affecting objects into the first container at a more rapid rate than spectrum-affecting objects not in the first set; the second fluidic component permitting transfer of a second set of the spectrum-affecting objects into the second container at a more rapid rate than spectrum-affecting objects not in the second set; the first and second sets of spectrum-affecting objects both including a shared subset; the first set including a non-shared subset that the second set does not include; objects that are instances of an analyte type being predominantly in the non-shared subset.