Glucose Sensor Ditches the Enzymes
A pain-free way to keep diabetics in check
Article via LabRoots
A team of engineers has developed a wearable device that can monitor blood sugar levels minus the painful finger prick. Diabetes is a condition in which the body either does not produce enough insulin or becomes resistant to it. Without insulin, glucose builds up in the blood instead of being used for energy.
Patients with diabetes need to keep track of their glucose levels by taking blood samples several times daily. Keeping tabs on fluctuating sugar levels is important because consistently high glucose levels can cause blindness or limb amputation.
If glucose levels are too low, the patient might faint or fall into a coma.
The need for continuous monitoring has led scientists to search for less-invasive means of keeping tabs on blood sugar levels, including patches that can measure glucose through the skin.
A team led by Penn State’s Huanyu “Larry” Cheng searched for low-cost sensors capable of detecting and quantifying glucose concentrations in the sweat.
Their sensor design used a combination of nickel (a material that is highly sensitive to glucose) with gold to minimize the risk of allergic reactions in the wearer. The glucose concentration in the sweat is around…
