Possible correlation between blood glucose concentration and the reduced scattering coefficient of tissues in the near infrared

Abstract

Tissue glucose levels affect the refractive index of the extracellular fluid. The difference in refractive index between the extracellular fluid and the cellular components plays a role in determining the reduced scattering coefficient (μ_S′) of tissue. Hence a physical correlation may exist between the reduced scattering coefficient and glucose concentration. We have designed and constructed a frequency-domain near-infrared tissue spectrometer capable of measuring the reduced scattering coefficient of tissue with enough precision to detect changes in glucose levels in the physiological and pathological range.