Continuous Glucose Monitoring Without Blood or Needles

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OGTT experiment on beagle using sensor and interface board: (1) Glucose solutions (2) Interface board (3) Battery. Credit: UNIST

Key Points:

  • Researchers have developed a method to monitor blood sugar levels without drawing blood.
  • The technology utilizes electromagnetic wave-based glucose sensors inserted under the skin.
  • The innovative method could increase the use of continuous glucose monitoring, which is currently very low.

Researchers at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) have developed a method to measure blood sugar levels without actually drawing blood.

The innovative method utilizes electromagnetic wave-based glucose sensors inserted under the skin, capable of tracking minute changes. The proposed sensor, which is about one-fifth of a cotton swab, can measure changes in glucose concentrations in interstitial fluid (ISF), the liquid that fills spaces between cells.

“[Our study] is an effort for the realization of implantable electromagnetic-based sensor, which can be an alternate to enzyme-based or optical-based glucose sensor,” said the research team. “The proposed implantable sensor has not only overcome the disadvantages of the existing continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMS), such as short lifespan, but has also enhanced the blood glucose prediction accuracy.”

Currently, use of continuous glucose monitoring systems is only 5%—a statistic the researchers expect to increase with the new method.

The research looked into other means of non-pricking for measuring blood sugar levels, including enzyme-based monitoring and optical-based glucose sensors. However, they fell short in enabling blood sugar prediction accuracy and have a short lifespan.

The electromagnetic sensor method trumps the other two alternatives on portability, which eases the burden on the diabetic person. The sensor helps to keep patients informed of their blood sugar levels according to their specific target range. The UNIST researchers also found a correlation between blood sugar levels and the sensor frequency response, which means that the levels can be actively and effectively tracked.

Although the proof-of-concept in vivo results are promising, more research is needed.

“For actual sensor implantation, we must consider biocompatible packaging and foreign body reactions for long-term applications. In addition, improved sensor interface system is under development,” said the researchers.

The study is published in Scientific Reports.

 

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