April 30, 2008, Bethlehem, PA--GlucoLight, a development stage company focused on the noninvasive, continuous measurement of blood glucose levels, has been awarded US Patent #7,356,365 for the non-invasive method and apparatus of measuring tissue oximetry. The patent was assigned to the company effective April 8, 2008.

The patent, granted to GlucoLight's Chief Technology Officer and co-founder, Matthew Schurman, uses infrared light to measure oxygenation of blood in human tissue. This method uses optical coherence tomography (OCT), which GlucoLight has also used to develop non-invasive, continuous glucose measurement technology and its first product, the SENTRIS-100.

The oxygenation of blood perfused tissue is measured by shining light into the perfused tissue and analyzing the light reflected within the tissue. The light is reflected by cell walls in the tissue and is partially absorbed by hemoglobin in the blood. Since the extent of absorption is sensitive to the extent of hemoglobin oxygenation, measurement and processing of the reflected light provides a measure of the oxygenation of the blood.

GlucoLight is conducting additional clinical trials of its SENTRIS-100 monitor in the second and third quarters of 2008.

Wed Apr 30 10:56:00 CDT 2008