Inventive Diabetes Glucose Sensor Can Monitor Blood Sugar Without Pricking
Image via Penn State News
If you know of a loved one with a history of diabetes, it’s likely you’d have seen a regular glucose monitor. Those dealing with the condition might have to prick their fingers daily—some multiple times a day—so they can regularly monitor their blood sugar levels.
Now, a team of researchers at Pennsylvania State University have invented a glucose monitoring device that doesn’t need a needle, or painful pricks, to obtain blood sugar level readings. This wearable innovation could soon become a more convenient way for patients to stay informed of their health.
According to SlashGear, the device is made of laser-induced graphene (LIG), a carbon-based material that’s only one atom thick. This allows it to have high electrical conductivity, and can be used to sense glucose levels through the skin.
However, LIG in itself isn’t sensitive to glucose, making the task more challenging for the researchers. The team solved the issue by placing a glucose-sensitive material––nickel––onto the LIG, to enable the device to monitor glucose levels.
The entire system works by sensing the concentration of glucose in the wearer’s sweat. While glucose is about 100 times less concentrated in sweat than blood, it still has a strong correlation, just requiring an extra-sensitive sensor to test it, which is what the scientists have come up with.
“We want to work with physicians and other health care providers to see how we can apply this technology for daily monitoring of a patient,” said Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in Penn State's Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics.
Hopefully, Cheng’s dream will soon become reality, helping those suffering from diabetes to bid goodbye to the painful days of pricking their fingers over and over.
Take a look at how the gadget works below.
[via SlashGear, cover image via Penn State News]
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