Abstract: An apparatus (10) for determining a diagnostic glucose level in a human subject includes a light source (30) that produces collimated light at a selected wavelength. The collimated light is arranged such that it passes through a portion of an eye (12) of the subject and reflects off an eye lens (16) at a selected angle (&thgr;B) as reflected light. A polarization analyzer (70) measures a polarization of the reflected light that exits the eye (12). A path length processor (68) determines an optical path length (L&lgr;) of the reflected light within an aqueous humor (22) of the eye (12). A glucose level processor (90) computes a glucose concentration based on the measured polarization and the determined optical path length (L&lgr;).

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for determining a diagnostic glucose level in a human subject includes a light source (30) that produces collimated light at a selected wavelength. The collimated light is arranged such that it passes through a portion of an eye (12) of the subject and reflects off an eye lens (16) at a selected angle (&thgr;B) as reflected light. A polarization analyzer (70) measures a polarization of the reflected light that exits the eye (12). A path length processor (68) determines an optical path length (L&lgr;) of the reflected light within an aqueous humor (22) of the eye (12). A glucose level processor (90) computes a glucose concentration based on the measured polarization and the determined optical path length (L&lgr;).

Abstract: A fiber-optic imaging probe is disclosed for use in dynamic light scattering applications. The probe includes two monomode optical fibers and two GRIN lenses to form a pair of identical fiber-lens combinations. Each fiber is positioned off the optical axis of its associated lens. Further, the optical fibers are placed at an image plane of the lenses. The fiber-lens combinations are parallel to and mirror images of each other. The first fiber-lens combination projects a tightly focused spot of light into a scattering volume containing suspended or dispersed microscopic particles, or biological or live tissues. The second fiber-lens combination collects the light which is scattered from the particles in the scattering volume and conveys it to a photo detector and autocorrelator for analysis. The probe minimizes the scattering volume by advantageously using imaging principles of lenses. Further, the probe optimizes sensitivity and spatial coherence.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the physical characteristics of ocular tissue is provided. A lens-less monomode fiber is caused to generate an expanding beam of monochromatic laser light into ocular tissue such that the light is scattered by the tissue in the backward direction. A second optical fiber, which is multimode at the wavelength of the light passing through the monomode transmission fiber, coherently detects light scattered by the ocular tissue. The scattered light received by the second optical fiber is converted into an electrical signal, which is subsequently analyzed to determine whether changes in the molecular structure of the ocular tissue have occurred.