There certainly have been some advances in the way diabetics test their blood sugar levels. Glucose monitors have gotten more compact, the amount of blood needed for an accurate test has gotten much smaller. iDevices have been thrown into the fold with special apps for keeping track and sending results to your doctor. Heck they’re even developing a tattoo that changes color in response to your glucose levels, but what we really want is a way to accurately check those levels without having to be stuck with a needle… ever.
Well, scientists at the University of Michigan as well as a biomedical engineer at Arizona State just might have some answers to the kinds of devices we’ve been waiting for, the U of M scientists have developed a sensor that is able to detect diluted levels of glucose in the tears of animals, and Dr. Jeffry Labelle from Arizona State is working with the Mayo Clinic in order to develop a device that you simply press against the white part of your eye in to check your levels. Now that’s what I’m talking about.
Dr. Labelle’s device boasts an accuracy the same as blood testing, the material is easier to gather than a blood sample, is painless, and requires only that a test strip be held against the white of your eye. Unfortunately, presently the sample requires swift handling and immediate measurement to get those accurate results, so thats where the scientists have their work cut out for them. They are now working to make this painless test more user friendly and consistent. Never fear however, their diligent work looks like it could payoff sooner than you think, and the device could be in your hands in as little as 2 – 5 years. Wouldn’t that be great?
source: HuffingtonPost.com
[ The Future Glucose Monitoring – The “Eyes” Have it copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
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