Researchers Develop Needle-Free Testing Device for Diabetes

Here’s a shot of good news for diabetics: they may soon see a day when they will no longer have to prick their fingers to check blood glucose levels, reports Shane Hickey in the Hoya, the newspaper of record of Georgetown University (Washington, DC). Teams of researchers from the Georgetown Advanced Electronics Laboratory, Science Application International Corp., and Gentag Inc. have developed a new glucose-monitoring device that does not require diabetic patients to prick their fingers daily to draw blood and test for glucose levels. “By removing the pain, we hope to increase patient compliance or the number of times a patient checks their glucose levels,” says Makarand Paranjape, an associate professor at Georgetown University’s physics department.

The glucose sensor has been developed as a transdermal patch that adheres to the skin. The patch is covered with micro-heaters that act as individual heaters, much like a unit on a stove. The patch is equipped with numerous micro-heaters because the pore on human skin begins to close within an hour. After the pore closes, a different micro-heater turns on. That way, the patch can be worn for a certain period of time.

The patch then uses biosensors and radio frequency identification technology to take the glucose reading. According to Paranjape, a device such as a cell phone or PDA equipped with RFID technology could be placed near the patch to take the blood glucose level reading.

The team is currently looking for partners to manufacture and distribute the patch, Paranjape told the Hoya. The end goal is to create a “closed-loop system” that will allow patients to monitor glucose and deliver insulin with ease. The application for the technology is not limited to just diabetes, but could one day be applied to a variety of medical conditions.