Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Meter Promises Painless Testing
Have you ever wondered what it would be like not to have to prick your fingers or forearm with a needle several times a day to find out what your blood glucose levels are? The day may soon be here, where all you have to do is pass a device the size of a cell phone over your finger and infrared rays will sense how much glucose is in your blood.
Last month, The Hong Kong Polytechnic Institute walked away with 9 awards at this year's International Exhibition of Inventions, New Techniques and Products which took place in Geneva, Switzerland. The Hong Kong team, led by Prof. Thomas Wong Kwok-shing, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, was awarded a gold medal for their invention of a non-invasive blood glucose meter.
This isn't the first time that infrared technology has been used to attempt find an alternative to painful fingersticks for measuring blood glucose. As early as 1991, a patent was filed with the U.S. Patent Office for a hand-held device which used infrared technology to measure blood glucose noninvasively. An article published in Diabetes Care in 2002 outlined a clinical study that tested an "advanced handheld non-invasive glucose monitor prototype" that used infrared technology to detect glucose levels in the blood.
As of right now, there is no FDA approved non-invasive glucose monitor available to the public that uses infrared technology, but thanks to the team at the Hong Kong Polytechnic Institute, that day may soon be here.
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Comments
I keep seeing this news in different locations but I don’t see any details about the alleged device. What wavelengths of light does it use? Is there a potential manufacturer for it, or is it a university experiment?
Have you been able to find out more about this? I’m a little suspicious that it may not amount to much.
Hi Bernard,
Thanks for commenting. The Hong Kong project was an entry in the International Exhibition of Inventions, so I guess that qualifies it as a university experiment. It uses near infrared wave lengths to detect glucose in the blood with out having to puncture the skin. I couldn’t find any information about potential manufacturers, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any. The major drawback to infrared technology was accuracy. The Hong Kong project appeared to be very accurate. Probably marketing will begin when accuracy is reliable.
Thanks,
Deb
This is really breaking news for all diabetics across the world especially all the young kids who go throughthe pricking on a daily basis. Wonder how long it would take for this machine to reach countries like India and how affordable it will be?
Hi Deb,
Until something like this is available, any suggestions on glucose testing/monitoring for kids? It looks like we’ll need to test my 6 year old and I’d like to find the least invasive, least painful (yet accurate) method of doing so. Can you point me toward any info on that point? Thanks!
Is the FDA friend or foe? What would all the companies that make meter, strips, lancing devices, etc. do if this were approved??? I’d like to know how much money is spent in Washington lobbying against these inventions.
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Hi Peter,
Right now, forearm testing is acceptable for accuracy and causes less pain than finger sticking.
I can certainly understand your concerns with having to cause pain to your child everyday. Here’s a link to a study that was done on the accuracy of forearm testing for kids.
http://adc.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/89/6/516
Hopefully the non-invasive testing technology will be perfected and marketed soon.
Deb Manzella RN
Oh I hope this is true!!!! I was just diagnosed as being diabetic and I am TERRIFIED of needles! It is really freaking me out! I don’t know how I am going to prick myself several times a day without causing my heart to race and my blood pressure to skyrocket! A non-invasive device would certainly ease my fear of this procedure and it might save lives by helping people who might not follow through with their testing because it is too stressful and painful.
After thirty years of hearing, “we’re within five years of a cure”, I don’t believe this technology will ever come to market.
With test strips at $1 each on average, and testing six times a day or 2,300 times a year, there is too much money to be lost with a glucometer like this available.
The obscene profit on the test strips is why the glucometers are all so inexpensive.
But, they are very willing to throw new glucometers at us that give results in half the time as the older ones. Big deal.
I agree with ED! too much money at stake. this device is long to come…
hope to be in fault..
How sad, but has anyone else noticed that it feels like a couple of times a year, a news story stating a new breakthrough of some form relating to diabetes. These stories appear for only a day or 2, despite how big they are (implants replacing need for insulin injections etc), and are completed with comments along the lines of “currently in clinical trials”. I understand these things need to be trialled and tested, but I never feel I hear about them ever again!
It is all about drug co profit. Why else has there been no cure for any diseases since smallpox and polio. They realized if you cure a disease the profit goes away. If they only treat the symptoms the disease is still there and the meds are continuiously needed. IE… PROFIT!
I agree with Dennis, it is all about money but until a child from this doctors/scientist gets diagnose with diabetes, them they will spend more time researching for a cure. is sad to say that!!! no one wants to see your children suffer specially the first weeks. to bad I’m not a doctor,scientist or whatever you call it, I will probably work everyday for a cure not only for diabetes but for many others. one thing I want to say is that we need to push the goverment and the private sector to find a cure.
My poor fingers are full of lancing device holes and half of them sustain bruising also, even though I set my pen to a lower level of poking. So the above article is of great interest to me. How accurate is it though? And I can’t help but wonder what the cost of this new meter would be…and whether insurance companies will pay for it, minus a co-pay due from the patient.
Cait
Recently I read that was approved by FDA the device developed by tha Canadian company Biosign Technologies Inc. (CNQ: BIOS). Apparently their results is very acceptable and realistic comparing with the routine lab glucose test procedure. The device looks like a watch, similarly to the developed by Cygnus although more accurate.
I’m with Caeolyn. I too was just diagnosed with diabetes and have been searching the internet for a painless way of testing. I’m not having any luck at all. I also agree with the pharmacutical (sp??)co’s making tons of money while we suffer side effects from their meds. I’m opting to try herbs to control my blood sugar - I’m confident it will work!
can some body please tell me a web site wher i can buy a glucometer without puncture, for my father….thankyou