Non-invasive blood analysis

1. A personal hand-held monitor (PHHM) comprising a signal acquisition device for acquiring signals which can be used to derive a measurement of a parameter related to the health of the user, wherein the signal acquisition device comprises a blood photosensor having one or more photo-emitters for transmitting light to a body part of a user, one or more photo-detectors for detecting light transmitted through or scattered by the body part and two or more optical cells, at least one of which contains an analyte to be detected or which mimics the absorption spectrum of the analyte to be detected, through which the light that has been or will be transmitted through or scattered by the body part passes before it reaches the or each photo-detector, wherein the PHHM comprises a processor adapted to process the signals received from the or each photo-detector to calculate the difference in intensity of light which has passed through the or each analyte cell and light which has passed through the or each non-analyte cell, wherein

the PHHM is adapted to apply pressure to the body part or to have pressure applied to it by the body part so that, in use, an artery in the body part changes from occluded to patent during each pulse;

the processor of the PHHM is adapted to determine the pulse of the user and to correlate the signals obtained from the photosensor with the pulse of the user;

the processor of the PHHM is adapted to derive a measurement of the change in the luminal area of the artery during each pulse and to correlate the signals received from the blood photosensor with the pulse and the change in the luminal area of the artery to provide a measurement of the concentration of the analyte in the arterial blood; and

the PHHM is adapted to provide optical signals at one or more additional wavelengths for transmission to the body part, and the processor of the PHHM is adapted to process signals at the or each additional wavelength to estimate the volume of blood in the field of view of the blood photosensor.

2. The PHHM of claim 1 , wherein the additional wavelengths are chosen to optimize the estimation of haemoglobin content.

3. The PHHM of claim 1 , wherein the signal acquisition device is integrated with a personal hand-held computing device (PHHCD).

4. The PHHM of claim 1 , wherein the or each photo-emitter is a light-emitting diode (LED) having a 50% bandwidth of 85 nm or more.

5. The PHHM of claim 4 , wherein the or each LED is around 1 mm square.

6. The PHHM of claim 1 , wherein an optical cell that mimics the absorption spectrum of the analyte to be detected is used and is a manufactured optical filter.

7. The PHHM of claim 6 , wherein the manufactured optical filter is a sheet of glass having a thickness of from 1 to 2 mm.

8. The PHHM of claim 6 , wherein the manufactured optical filter is a sheet of glass.

9. The PHHM of claim 1 , wherein there is a ridge on the surface of the signal acquisition device between the photo-emitter(s) and the photo-detector(s).

10. A personal hand-held monitor (PHHM) comprising a signal acquisition device for acquiring signals which can be used to derive a measurement of a parameter related to the health of the user, wherein the signal acquisition device comprises a blood photosensor having one or more photo-emitters for transmitting light to a body part of a user, one or more photo-detectors for detecting light transmitted through or scattered by the body part and two or more optical cells, at least one of which contains an analyte to be detected or which mimics the absorption spectrum of the analyte to be detected, through which the light that has been or will be transmitted through or scattered by the body part passes before it reaches the or each photo-detector, wherein the PHHM comprises a processor adapted to process the signals received from the or each photo-detector to calculate the difference in intensity of light which has passed through the or each analyte cell and light which has passed through the or each non-analyte cell, wherein

the PHHM is adapted to apply pressure to the body part or to have pressure applied to it by the body part so that, in use, an artery in the body part changes from occluded to patent during each pulse;

the processor of the PHHM is adapted to determine the pulse of the user and to correlate the signals obtained from the photosensor with the pulse of the user;

the processor of the PHHM is adapted to derive a measurement of the change in the luminal area of the artery during each pulse and to correlate the signals received from the blood photosensor with the pulse and the change in the luminal area of the artery to provide a measurement of the concentration of the analyte in the arterial blood; and

there is a ridge having a height 1 mm or more on the surface of the signal acquisition device between the photo-emitter(s) and the photo-detector(s).

11. The PHHM of claim 10 , wherein the signal acquisition device is integrated with a personal hand-held computing device (PHHCD).

12. The PHHM of claim 10 , wherein the or each photo-emitter is a light-emitting diode (LED) having a 50% bandwidth of 85 nm or more.

13. The PHHM of claim 10 , wherein the PHHM is adapted to provide optical signals at one or more additional wavelengths for transmission to the body part, and the processor of the PHHM is adapted to process signals at the or each additional wavelength to estimate the volume of blood in the field of view of the blood photosensor.

14. The PHHM of claim 13 , wherein the additional wavelengths are chosen to optimize the estimation of haemoglobin content.