Optical sampling interface system for in vivo measurement of tissue

1. An optical sampling interface system comprising:

an optical probe placement guide for controlling variations in sample volume;

means for controlling surface reflection of an optical signal;

an occlusion plug for stabilizing surface hydration of a measurement site, said occlusion plug adapted to fit into an aperture in said placement guide between measurements, wherein said occlusion plug is removably attached at an exterior surface of said guide;

wherein sampling error is minimized, eliminated, reduced or compensated.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said placement guide comprises:

a mount having a contact surface, at least a portion of said contact surface being in contact with a surface proximate said measurement site during use; and

an aperture, defined by said mount; adapted to receive said optical probe, wherein an area defined by said aperture comprises said measurement site;

wherein said guide is removably attached at said measurement site so that said guide can repeatably couple said optical probe to the measurement site.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein means for attaching said guide comprises any of:

an adhesive;

at least one strap;

at least one armband; and

at least one suction element.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein size and shape of said aperture are matched to those of said optical probe, said probe fitting snugly Into said aperture, so that a mechanical registration in an x-y plane of said probe relative to said measurement site is provided, said guide further comprising at least one mechanical stop, said stop preventing over-penetration of said probe toward said measurement site, and providing registration along a z-axis of said probe relative to said measurement site.

5. The system of claim 2 , said guide further comprising optical registration means wherein said probe is registered relative to said measurement site along any of x-, y-, and z-axes.

6. The system of claim 1 , said means for controlling surface reflection comprising an optical coupling medium.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said optical coupling medium comprises an optical coupling fluid.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said optical coupling fluid comprises:

one or more perfluoro compounds, wherein a quantity of said optical coupling fluid is placed at an interface of an optical probe and a measurement site, so that said probe and said measurement site are tightly optically coupled.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein shape and dimensions of a portion of said occlusion plug adapted to be received by said aperture mimics shape and dimensions of said aperture.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising means for stabilizing surface temperature.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein said measurement site comprises a tissue measurement site and wherein surface tissue at said measurement site comprises skin, skin surface comprising stratum corneum.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising means for correcting measurement bias resulting from one or both of variations in sampled volume and measurement conditions.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said means for correcting measurement bias comprises:

a noninvasive measurement system;

a tissue template; and

a calibration model;

wherein measurement bias is compensated by:

determining difference between a tissue measurement and a tissue template;

mapping resulting difference to a measurement of a target analyte according to a calibration model; and

applying a baseline adjustment to said analyte measurement.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein variations in sampled volume result from differences in placement of either an optical probe, or an optical probe placement guide between measurements.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein said tissue template is determined through one or more tissue measurements combined according to a predetermined data selection criterion during a measurement period.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein said calibration model is determined from a calibration set of exemplary paired data points each consisting of a pre-processed and bias corrected tissue measurement and an associated reference analyte value determined from an analysis of a blood or interstitial fluid sample.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein said baseline adjustment is associated with said tissue template and said calibration model.

18. An apparatus for minimizing optical sampling error at a tissue measurement site due to fluctuations of surface conditions, comprising:

an element defining a probe aperture, wherein said element is fabricated from a flexible material, wherein said element provides for stabilization of the measurement site and deformation of underlying tissue without applying undue force to a targeted tissue volume;

an occlusion plug for insertion into said aperture between measurements; and

means for removably attaching said plug at an exterior surface of said element defining said probe aperture.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein shape and dimensions of at least a portion of said occlusion plug mimic shape and dimensions of said aperture.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said plug fits snugly within said aperture without additional attachment means.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said means for attaching comprises any of:

magnets attached to said plug and said apparatus bearing said probe aperture;

hook and loop tape;

adhesives; and

snaps.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said element bearing said probe aperture induces a tissue meniscus within said aperture.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein said plug is adapted to stabilize hydration level of surface tissue across surface of said meniscus.

24. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said element defining said aperture comprises an optical probe placement guide.