Checking your blood sugar multiple times a day is one of the most frustrating aspects of managing diabetes. You have to prick your finger, draw blood and repeat the whole process several times. MIT researchers may have just found a way to make this a thing of the past.
Researchers at MIT have developed a shoebox-sized device that can measure blood sugar levels without needles. It uses a light-based technique called Raman spectroscopy, which involves shining near-infrared light onto your skin and analyzing how that light interacts with the molecules in your tissue.
The device detects glucose signals directly beneath the surface of the skin, no cable insertions or finger pricks required.
So how accurate is it?
Pretty much, as it turns out. When tested on a healthy volunteer, the device provided readings consistent with commercial glucose meters, which require a sensor inserted under the skin.
Measurements were taken every 5 minutes over a 4-hour period, with the subject consuming 2 glucose drinks to test the device across different blood glucose levels.
Each measurement takes just over 30 seconds, which is relatively fast for a non-invasive method.
“If we can develop a noninvasive glucose monitor with high accuracy, almost every diabetic patient will benefit from it,” said Jeon Woong Kang, a research scientist at MIT and senior author of the study.
Researchers also plan to conduct a larger study in people with diabetes next year. They are also working to ensure accurate readings for different skin tones, which is an important step before this product can become a mainstream product.
Is there a portable version coming?
Yes, and sooner than you might think. The team has already built a smaller prototype, about the size of a cell phone, and is currently testing it on healthy and pre-diabetic volunteers. The goal is to eventually shrink it down to the size of a watch.
If the tests are successful, we will soon have accurate blood glucose measurement on your smartwatches, and this will be a life-changing upgrade for diabetics.
And MIT is not alone in this fight. Smartwatch manufacturers like Huawei are testing diabetes risk detection on their smartwatches. We hope these new advances become publicly available sooner rather than later, as they actually improve our lives.
It’s still early days, but the finger prick could really go away soon.
