Abstract: An apparatus and method for minimizing a subject's pain perception during an invasive medical procedure, such as blood sampling and the like. The apparatus can include a receiving surface constructed to contact a portion of the subject's skin and a vibratory mechanism associated with the receiving surface such that the vibratory mechanism transmits vibrations through the receiving surface and to the subject's skin. An invasive sharp can be substantially permanently supported and moveably disposed with respect to the receiving surface such that the invasive sharp reciprocates between a first position in which the sharp is spaced from the receiving surface, away from the subject's skin, and a second position in which at least a portion of the sharp protrudes through an opening in the receiving surface.

Abstract: A technique that uses wavelet analysis to analyze the concentration of an analyte in a sample. The technique includes irradiating the sample with electromagnetic radiation and detecting a resulting radiation from the sample to obtain spectral data. The electromagnetic radiation irradiated on the sample results in radiation interaction, such as reflection, scattering, and transmission, from the sample. The radiation interaction results in a resultant electromagnetic radiation from the sample, such as reflected radiation, scattered radiation, or transmitted radiation. The resultant electromagnetic radiation includes signals indicative of the analyte. The spectral data is digitally processed using wavelet analysis to increase proportionally the signal indicative of the analyte in the data. A modeling algorithm is applied to the processed data to determine the quantitative characteristics of the analyte in the sample.