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The device works by sending a laser beam through skin cells - without causing damage - to be absorbed by sugar molecules. The target is not blood sugar as such, but the sugar content of dermal interstitial fluid, which has a strong correlation with blood sugar.
Princeton laser device
The new monitor uses a laser, instead of blood sample, to read blood sugar levels. The laser is directed at the person's palm, passes through skin cells and is partially absorbed by sugar molecules, allowing researchers to calculate blood sugar levels.
The amount of absorption of the laser beam is thus an indicator of the amount of glucose in the blood.
The team was surprised at how accurate the readings turned out to be. Current glucose monitors that patients use at home are required to show readings within 20% of the patient's actual blood level.
Lead author Sabbir Liakat, a graduate student in electrical engineering, says even their early version of the laser system met this requirement, and the latest version is 84% accurate.
The challenge now is to improve the technology - and not least to bring down the scale.
When they started working on the idea, the device covered an average lab bench and needed an elaborate system to keep it cool.
Prof. Gmachl says they have solved the cooling problem - the system now works at room temperature - but they still have to work out how to make the technology smaller.
They aim to develop a mobile device they can take to clinics and put through more tests and collect a larger set of data to work with.
The device works by sending a laser beam through skin cells - without causing damage - to be absorbed by sugar molecules. The target is not blood sugar as such, but the sugar content of dermal interstitial fluid, which has a strong correlation with blood sugar.
Princeton laser device
The new monitor uses a laser, instead of blood sample, to read blood sugar levels. The laser is directed at the person's palm, passes through skin cells and is partially absorbed by sugar molecules, allowing researchers to calculate blood sugar levels.
The amount of absorption of the laser beam is thus an indicator of the amount of glucose in the blood.
The team was surprised at how accurate the readings turned out to be. Current glucose monitors that patients use at home are required to show readings within 20% of the patient's actual blood level.
Lead author Sabbir Liakat, a graduate student in electrical engineering, says even their early version of the laser system met this requirement, and the latest version is 84% accurate.
The challenge now is to improve the technology - and not least to bring down the scale.
When they started working on the idea, the device covered an average lab bench and needed an elaborate system to keep it cool.
Prof. Gmachl says they have solved the cooling problem - the system now works at room temperature - but they still have to work out how to make the technology smaller.
They aim to develop a mobile device they can take to clinics and put through more tests and collect a larger set of data to work with.
