Lebanese researchers have developed a non-invasive device that may represent real progress in diabetes control. It is a glove equipped with several sensors based on electromagnetic waves. If this prototype is very promising, the researchers will however have to make some improvements.
People with diabetes must control their blood sugar levels . For people with type 1 diabetes, these checks should be done several times a day. However, these use a device on which it is incumbent to deposit a small drop of blood taken from a finger. For some people, the fact of injecting themselves like this can become painful. In the long run it can even be a question of sensitivity disorders in the fingers or, more rarely, inflammation of the pulp.
In their report published in the journal Science Advances on June 10, 2020, researchers from the University of Beirut (Lebanon) presented a new device:Ediamond. It is a glove and an armband equipped with sensors operating using electromagnetic waves (EM). This innovation embodies a non-invasive solution that could appeal to many diabetics in the future.
Remember that the amount of glucose present in the blood modifies the properties of the latter. Thus, the sensors of the Ediamond device generate EM waves and analyze the waves reflected by the blood. The fact is that the variation in the blood sugar level is at the origin of a change in the shape of the waves. In other words, it becomes possible to deduce the concentration of glucose in this liquid. According to the project leaders, the device tested on serum and animals is precise enough for people with diabetes to use it.
However, the prototype in question here is still too bulky to be used on a daily basis. Moreover, if the tests seem encouraging, the interpretation of the measurements must be improved to be in line with the user's glycemic profile. However, the researchers have already indicated that they are working on the miniaturization of the sensors . Thus, we could in the future find these same sensors in clothing, jewelry, etc.
While some improvements still need to be made, Ediamond nevertheless has two advantages . Not only does the latter allow continuous monitoring of blood sugar, but the results are also available on different devices such as smartphones, computers and other connected watches.
