Tattoo-like sensor can detect glucose levels

Researchers have developed the first ultra-thin, flexible device that sticks to skin like a rub-on tattoo to detect glucose levels, eliminating the need for painful finger-pricking for diabetics.

Researchers have developed the first ultra-thin, flexible device that sticks to skin like a rub-on tattoo to detect glucose levels, eliminating the need for painful finger-pricking for diabetics.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, said that diabetes affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and many of these patients are instructed to monitor closely their blood glucose levels to manage the disease.

The standard way of checking glucose requires a prick to the finger to draw blood for testing. The pain associated with this technique can discourage people from keeping tabs on their glucose regularly, researchers noted.

Researchers in the new study made a wearable, non-irritating device that can detect glucose in the fluid just under the skin based on integrating glucose extraction and electrochemical biosensing.

Preliminary testing on seven healthy volunteers showed it was able to accurately determine glucose levels.

The researchers concluded that the device could potentially be used for diabetes management and for other conditions such as kidney disease.

The study is published in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry.