Alternative wearable devices: tattoo stickers for painless blood glucose measurement

Release date: 2015-01-21

The team of nano engineers at the University of California, San Diego has developed a new wearable computing device that helps people with diabetes monitor their blood sugar levels in a painless manner.

The results of this research have been published in the journal Analytical Chemistry. Currently, people with diabetes need multiple needles to measure blood sugar levels every day. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, diabetes has affected 29.1 million people in the United States.

The device contains a small sensor, and the electrodes of a specific shape are printed on the tattoo sticker by screen printing. By applying a specific voltage to the skin, the device is capable of extracting bodily fluids from the skin, and sensors containing specific enzymes are capable of measuring blood glucose concentrations accordingly.

The researchers tested this on 7 patients. After a large diet, the device achieved similar results to traditional acupuncture.

This is not the first painless blood glucose sensor. In 2002, Cygnus introduced a GlucoWatch, a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved bracelet that performs similar functions. However, there were obvious problems with the products at the time, that is, they could not completely get rid of acupuncture. Users still need to calibrate the wristband through traditional acupuncture, and many people report skin allergies.

Joseph Wang, head of the wearable sensor center at the University of California, San Diego, and the author of the study, said that the device uses a lower current than GlucoWatch, so it doesn't cause discomfort.

He said that if you want this device to be used continuously, there is still more work to be done. His department continues to develop equipment that displays blood glucose readings to users and transmits this information to the patient's doctor in real time via a Bluetooth connection. After optimizing this concept, the price of the product will be cheaper and easier to use. Currently, the average price per blood glucose test strip exceeds $1. Save money and make them no longer painful, which will help tens of millions of people with diabetes to be more willing to receive the treatment they need.

Source: Sina Technology

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