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A recent Japanese study has found a new way to measure blood glucose levels using a mobile phone.

The study was conducted by Japanese researchers, and was published at the beginning of this March in the Journal of Biomedical Optics, and the EurekAlert website wrote about it.

Diabetes is one of the most common diseases in the world, and despite major medical developments, science has not yet been able to find a definitive treatment for it.

People with diabetes need to monitor blood glucose levels on a regular basis, which enables them to manage insulin doses effectively, in order to keep blood sugar levels under control throughout the day.

Measuring the blood sugar level usually requires pricking the finger with a fine needle to obtain a small sample of blood for analysis using glucometers.

Because of the pain that results from this procedure, scientists are seeking less painful alternatives based on modern electronic technologies.

Many modern methods have been proposed to measure blood sugar without pain, including the use of infrared light. Devices based on mid-infrared light (MID-IR) (long Wavelength range from 3 to 8 micrometers) performs well in measuring blood sugar levels.

However, these devices are expensive due to the high cost of their components, and they are difficult to integrate into portable electronic devices.

In contrast, near-infrared (NIR) light (wavelength 0.75–1.4 μm) can be easily produced and captured using inexpensive components.

Sensors

Many phones and smartwatches already use NIR sensors to measure heart rate and blood oxygen levels.

Unfortunately, glucose does not have a unique absorption peak within the NIR range, which makes distinguishing it from other chemicals in the blood (such as fats and proteins) by infrared radiation a difficult task.

To solve this problem, the research team developed a new methodology for estimating blood sugar from NIR measurements. This methodology is expected to bring about a new revolution in monitoring blood sugar in a non-invasive way.

This study found new optical indicators of blood sugar levels.

The researchers used the NIR sensor found in a smart watch by placing it on the finger of healthy study participants while they were at rest.

Participants then consumed sugary and sugar-free drinks to induce changes in blood sugar.

The results of the study were very promising, as changes in the metabolic index on the NIR closely matched differences in blood sugar levels measured by a traditional glucose monitor.

No trials have been conducted on diabetics yet.

But researchers believe this new technology will revolutionize blood sugar monitoring.

Researcher Tomoya Nakazawa pointed out that this method can be used with current smart devices that measure blood oxygen levels, and it is inexpensive and simple compared to other non-surgical sugar measurement techniques.

Thus, this method could be a powerful tool for developing portable blood sugar monitors in the future, giving diabetics better control of their blood sugar levels without the need for any painful procedures.

Non-invasive blood glucose measurement techniques

There are several proposed methods for measuring blood sugar levels non-invasively, the effectiveness of which is still under research and study:

  • The use of optical radiation, including near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIR), referred to in this research, and other optical spectra.

  • The use of electromagnetic microwave radiation, which can easily penetrate biological tissue, making it more efficient than some optical detection methods.

  • Using electrochemical methods that depend on measuring sugar levels in various body fluids (such as: saliva, tears, sweat, and cerebrospinal fluid).

Source: Al Jazeera + Agencies + Eurick Alert