Diabetes, a prevalent disease with no cure, necessitates regular monitoring of blood glucose levels (BGLs) and insulin administration. Conventional BGL measurement methods involve painful finger pricks, prompting research into noninvasive electronic alternatives globally.
Various BGL measurement approaches have emerged, with infrared light being a significant one. While mid-infrared devices exhibit promising performance, their costly components hinder portability. In contrast, near-infrared (NIR) light, employed in common devices for heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring, faces challenges due to glucose's lack of unique absorption peaks in the NIR spectrum.
Addressing this, a team led by Tomoya Nakazawa from Hamamatsu Photonics developed a groundbreaking method to estimate BGLs from NIR data, potentially revolutionizing noninvasive glucose monitoring. Their research, detailed in the Journal of Biomedical Optics, introduces a novel metabolic index derived from NIR measurements.
The study's key innovation lies in analyzing phase delays between oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) and deoxyhemoglobin (Hb) signals, linked to oxygen consumption during cardiac cycles. Experiments using NIR sensors on smartwatches and custom smartphone holders demonstrated a strong correlation between the metabolic index and BGL variations induced by sugar consumption.
While clinical trials on diabetic individuals are pending, the team remains optimistic about the method's potential. Mr. Nakazawa anticipates its integration into existing smart devices, emphasizing its cost-effectiveness and simplicity compared to other noninvasive BGL monitoring techniques. This development offers hope for accessible and portable BGL monitoring tools, promising a positive impact on diabetes management.
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