An experimental diabetes screening system was debuted at the 67th Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association in Chicago, June 22nd. The Scout DS is a prototype manufactured by VeraLight, Inc, a medical instrumentation company located in Albuquerque NM. The Scout DS uses fluorescence spectroscopy to detect advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) in the skin. AGE's show the accumulation of damage that occurs when there is abnormally high blood glucose levels.

• What are Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs)?

A non-invasive screening device could eliminate the need for blood tests to determine whether someone has diabetes. The Scout would be used on the forearm and would be painless.

If the Scout DS passes clinical trials and is approved by the FDA, it could replace the FPG and the OGTT tests currently used by health care professionals to diagnosis diabetes and pre-diabetes.