Keeping track of their blood glucose levels is absolutely essential for those with diabetes. That is why you’ll never see a diabetic go anywhere without their glucometer. There is a whole range of glucometers in the market today, all of them measuring the glucose levels in a drop of blood. All you have to do is prick your finger, extract a drop and use it to test your glucose levels instantly. Might seem simple enough, but for diabetics it is more of a burden than anything else.
Newer and better glucometers are constantly being developed to improve the accuracy of the results, as well as to make them more affordable for the general population. However, researchers at Purdue University have come up with something truly amazing. They’ve developed a special sensor that can be used to detect glucose in any body fluid, whether it is urine, tears or blood. The sensor converts the glucose into hydrogen peroxide, which in turn is detected by the sensor. The only piece of the puzzle missing is the correlation between the levels of glucose in tears or urine to those in the blood. The good thing is that extremely low levels of glucose are also detectable. Furthermore, the sensor is able to distinguish between glucose and other compounds, making it one of the most promising inventions in the field.
Read more about this research here…
The glucometer is still in its initial phases of development, and it would probably take a year or two before a fully functional tear glucometer is available in the market. What it means for those with diabetes is that they will finally be rid of the regular glucometer that involves pricking your finger every day; something that is particularly unpleasant for the younger lot. The glucometer might also prove to be more accurate and easier to use. For now Purdue University is pursuing research in the field and will continue publishing their results over time.
Leave A Comment