Unfortunately diabetes is a growing global problem and measuring the amount of glucose in a patients bloodstream is still relatively primitive despite decades of development and advances in the area.
However maybe soon to change with a new type of blood glucose monitor that has been developed at MIT that could eliminate the need for breaking the skin of patients, normally done with finger pricks.
The method involves injecting nanoparticles in the form of a tattoo just below the skin and has been developed by Paul Barone, a postdoctoral researcher in the MIT Department of Chemical Engineering and professor Michael Strano.
A device similar to a wristwatch is then warn over the tattoo and shines a near infrared light down onto the tattoo to detect the glucose levels in the patient. These are then displayed as results on the watch face for easy monitoring.
The concept is still in the development stage at the moment and the researchers hope to improve the accuracy of the sensor to make sure it passes the Clarke Error Grid test. Barone admits they are still years away from human trials of the technology, but trials on animals may start very soon.
Via Gizmag
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