A new type of blood glucose meter – for tears – is to allow diabetics to measure glucose levels in the body without the need to constantly prick the skin, reports the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology.
Diabetes is one of the most common diseases – over 23 million people suffer from it in the US and is the fifth most common cause of death there. It increases the risk of heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, amputation, and other complications. The costs associated with diabetes are calculated at over $ 170 billion, with $ 116 billion in additional medical costs and 58 in reduced patient productivity.
Patients must measure their blood glucose levels – even several times a day. This requires pricking your finger each time to collect a drop of blood. For many people, this painful procedure discourages them from having regular checkups, which in turn puts them at greater risk of complications.
Therefore, engineers and clinicians from the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, led by Professor Jeffrey T. La Belle, are working on a device that would suffice with a tear sample taken from the eye – it would be enough to brush the corner of the eye. The research is supported by the non-profit organization Bio Accel.
For now, the method still needs to be refined – for example, it is about obtaining results quickly and repeatedly without irritating the eyes, which would stimulate patients to rub them. (PAP)