Researchers develop non-invasive blood glucose monitoring process
Diabetes mellitus is a severe disease characterized by high blood glucose levels resulting from dysregulation of the hormone insulin. Diabetes is managed through physical activity and dietary modification and requires careful monitoring of blood glucose concentration. Blood glucose concentration is typically monitored throughout the day by analyzing a sample of blood drawn from a finger prick using a commercially available glucometer.
A pilot study was run with 8 volunteers that used the prototype on their fingers and ears. Blood glucose values obtained by the prototype were compared with commercially available glucometers to estimate accuracy.When using images from the finger, the accuracy of the prototype is 79%. Taken from the ear, the accuracy is attenuated to 62%. Though the current data set is limited, these results are encouraging.