A team of researchers at Cardiff University have developed a wearable glucose monitor that does not require the extraction of blood. Instead of taking measurements by pricking the skin, this device, uses microwaves to measure glucose levels, sending the resulting data to a computer or mobile app. It can be attached to the body using sticky adhesives.
The people with Type 1 diabetes have to monitor their blood glucose level more regularly - up to six times a day, or 20,000 times over a decade. This device could make life easier for the millions of people who are suffering from diabetes. Conventional methods of monitoring blood glucose require the extraction of blood. This device is non-invasive - it does not require the extraction of blood except during initial calibration. This device uses microwaves to extract the glucose levels, however uses very, very low power - much lower than the levels used in domestic cooking or mobile phones.
This project has received £1m in funding from the Wellcome Trust up to now, and has already been used in clinical trials in patients. The researchers feel that it could reach the market within five years.
