Repeated self-monitoring of the blood glucose levels is the key for managing diabetes. However, the inconvenience, expense, pain, and complexity involved in self-monitoring of the blood glucose levels lead to its underutilisation. With the availability of painless, and easy-to-operate device will encourage frequent testing, leading to tighter glucose control. So, efforts are being made to develop non-invasive and user-friendly devices for monitoring glucose levels.

Innovate strides in the glucose monitoring space have yielded smaller and smarter devices. Novel noninvasive approaches are being developed. Information aggregation and care delivery support using glucose and other lifestyle data are becoming available. To keep abreast with the trends, some of these innovations are discussed here. 

Dexcom G6 – Approved by FDA in 2018

The Dexcom G6 is the first integrated continuous blood sugar monitoring system, which was approved by FDA in the year 2018. It is a patch device, connected to a mobile app. The patch is applied to the abdomen. It has a small sensor, which continuously measures the glucose levels under the skin. The readings are sent to the mobile app every 5 minutes. The app alerts the individual if the blood sugar levels are too high or too low.

The interesting thing is that unlike its previous version Dexcom G5, this version does not require calibration of the sensor. Moreover, it can be integrated with insulin blood glucose meters, insulin pumps, dosing systems, or other electronic devices used for diabetes management.

SugarBEAT- All set for its commercial launch

SugarBEAT is a non-invasive patch device, which measures the blood glucose levels for 24 hours. The device has a small patch that is glued to the arm, leg or abdomen. The patch measures the blood glucose levels by drawing glucose from the interstitial fluid using the transdermal and electromagnetic technique. The patch is connected to a transmitter, which transmits the reading to a mobile app.

SugarBEAT is effective for measuring the blood glucose levels in prediabetes, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes patients. However, its drawback is that every patch has to be calibrated by single finger-stick method.

The device has received its CE approval recently and is all set for its commercial launch in the United Kingdom by the end of 2018.

A non-invasive glucose monitoring patch designed at the University of Bath

Recently, a calibrated non-invasive adhesive patch has been designed to measure the blood glucose levels. The patch can measure the blood glucose levels every 10-15 minutes for several hours. It measures the blood glucose levels by drawing glucose from the interstitial fluid across the hair follicles. The follicles are accessed through an arrangement of miniature sensors using electric current. The extracted glucose is stored in tiny reservoirs and is used for measurement.

Before conducting clinical trials, the University is planning to refine the design of the patch and demonstrate that the patch can work effectively for 24 hours.

Life Leaf- A smart watch for continuous blood glucose monitoring

In May-2018, LifePlus announced a multi-sensor smartwatch, the LifeLeaf. The LifeLeaf can measure the blood glucose levels by drawing glucose from the blood. Apart from glucose levels, it can measure the other five essential parameters of health, which include blood pressure, respiration rate, heart rate, cardiac arrhythmia and oxygen saturation. It can also act as a fitness device as it can monitor the movement and sleep of the individual.

This smart watch is being evaluated in five clinical trials all around the globe. Life Plus is planning to apply for FDA approval once the clinical trials are over.

We are halfway through 2018, and in just six months, much advancement have been made in the non-invasive glucose monitoring devices. Few non-invasive devices have been approved and few are still in the initial stage. Hope we get more breakthroughs in the coming months to manage diabetes effectively by increasing patients’ compliance.