Monitoring one's blood sugar level is a messy and sometimes a bit painful business with all those self-inflicted prickings one has to do to get sufficient blood samples for the blood sugar testing apparatus to work. Fortunately for diabetics, researchers have found a non-invasive way to monitor blood glucose levels by using sweat patches.
Researchers have developed a new stick on patch capable of monitoring a person's blood sugar levels by using the person's sweat according to a YahooNews article by Agata Boxe. This comes after a recent study which has effectively shown that the glucose levels in the sweat accurately reflects blood glucose levels. This new discovery made it possible to measure one's blood sugar level without having to draw blood samples with the use of needles, a development that would surely be welcomed by all diabetics worldwide.
Another good news is that the researchers involved in the study are bent on making the new patch commercially available soonest. In fact, study co-author Hyanjae Lee of the Institute for Basic Science in Seoul, South Korea confirms that they are now in talks with several Korean companies for a possible commercial venture.
Actually, a similar device was already available back in 2002 called GlucoWatch made by the now-defunct Cygnus Inc. according to a LiveScience article by Charles Choi. However, sales were discontinued when the device irritated people's skin.
Essentially a type of wearable electronics, the new patch uses a combination of gold particles and graphene, a material that is transparent, soft and very thin. While the glucose detecting component of the patch has already been tested, researchers are still testing the device's capability of delivering diabetic drugs such as metformin to the wearer via the use of micro-needles so the glucose level may be lowered as needed.
If the device functions as planned, it would make diabetes maintenance a lot easier, as both blood level monitoring and diabetes drug delivery can be pre-programmed into an almost autonomous diabetes management system.
