Diabetics and anyone else concerned about their blood sugar levels could soon use contact lenses and mirrors rather than pinpricks to measure it.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a thin plastic sensor that changes color based on the concentrations of glucose in bodily fluids.
High and low blood glucose levels can be dangerous for diabetics.
Research also suggests that high blood glucose contributes to the aging process, and that reducing glucose levels can extend healthy lifespan.
No more pinpricks
Sanford Asher, a professor of chemistry, and David Finegold, a professor of pediatrics, described the sensor material in a paper scheduled to be published in the May 1 issue of the journal Analytical Chemistry.
"There has been a increasing demand for continuous, non-invasive glucose monitoring due to the increasing number of people diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and the recognition that the long-term outcome of these patients can be dramatically improved by careful glucose monitoring and control," says Asher.
Currently, diabetics draw blood from a finger prick for testing.
Mirror, mirror
Asher and Finegold plan to embed their sensor into contact lenses. People will then be able to determine their glucose levels by looking in a small mirror.
The mirror will contain a color chart indicating glucose concentrations. The sensor will range from red for dangerously low glucose concentrations to violet for dangerously high glucose concentrations. Normal glucose levels will cause the sensor to turn green.
The researchers believe a working product is a year from being tested in humans, and that the technology can easily be incorporated into existing contact lenses that are replaced weekly.
Source: Betterhumans.
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