A new non-invasive blood glucose monitoring system could allow people with diabetes finally give up painful finger pricks and subcutaneous sensors. Although the current version is comparatively unwieldy, the MIT scientists write in the journal: Analytical Chemistry they say they are already on their way to reducing the scale of their invention. Eventually, their lighting-based approach could even fit on a watch-sized device.
Diabetes management requires a person to regularly monitor glucose levels. For decades, obtaining blood samples almost always required multiple daily finger pricks. Bye wearable glucose monitors They have increased in popularity in recent years, but they still have their problems. These types of wearable devices provide continuous analysis of interstitial fluid, but only after inserting a sensor wire under the skin. Even then, users have to replace the sensors every 10 to 15 days, and they still tend to cause irritation.
“Nobody wants to prick their finger every day, multiple times a day,” said MIT researcher and study co-author Jung Un Kang. says the statementadding that this issue goes beyond anyone's tolerance for pain. “Naturally, many patients with diabetes underestimate their blood glucose levels, which can cause serious complications.”
To create this new way to control blood sugar levels without injections, Kang and his colleagues draw on more than 15 years of research. Biomedical engineers at MIT's Laser Biomedical Research Center (LBRC) have demonstrated for the first time that they can non-invasive glucose level calculation in 2010 using Raman spectroscopy, a technique that uses light particles to study and identify molecules. In this case, the scientists used a device that illuminated organic tissue with near-infrared and visible light. They then compared the resulting Raman wave signals reflected from the interstitial fluid of skin cells to reference glucose levels. Although this method is accurate, it is not practical for daily use.
The possibility of using Raman signals became much more feasible after researchers developed a workaround for their problem. In 2020 LBRC announced that they can accurately detect glucose signals while simultaneously sending Raman signals to tissues and Also glowing near-infrared light from a different angle. This approach filtered signals from unrelated skin molecules, allowing engineers to find and track information about glucose.
While the original Raman glucose monitor was the size of a printer, they have since shrunk the entire device down to the size of a shoebox. To do this, they identified only the Raman bands needed to measure blood glucose levels.
“By refraining from obtaining the entire spectrum, which contains a lot of redundant information, we go down to three bands selected from approximately 1,000,” explained researcher and study co-author Arianna Breschi. “With this new approach, we can change the components typically used in Raman-based devices and save space, time and money.”
Each measurement scan takes just over 30 seconds. The device also demonstrates accuracy comparable to two commercially available wearable glucose monitors.
“If we can create a non-invasive glucose monitor with high accuracy, then almost all people with diabetes will benefit from this new technology,” Kang said.
While continuing to scale down their Raman glucose scanner, the researchers will also focus on additional clinical and larger research tests to ensure the technology's feasibility as well as its ability to scan all skin tones.
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