[acb-diabetics] non-invasive glucose moniteering

[Patricia LaFrance-Wolf]

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Polyaniline nanofibers may be useful in creating optical biosensors, like a
continuous glucose monitoring system. 

 

Next Generation Blood Glucose Meters

Russell Phillips, PhD

Nov 5, 2009 

 

Fingertip blood-oxygen monitors, called pulse oximeters, measure oxygen in
the blood using light and color. The noninvasive device, which clips onto a
fingertip

or earlobe, typically has a pair of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) facing a
sensor. Light of a certain wavelength (a certain color) travels through a
translucent

part of the body like the fingertip or an earlobe, and is picked up by the
sensor. The amount of oxygen in the blood (actually, oxygenated hemoglobin)

affects how much light from each diode finally makes it through the finger
and reaches the sensor. The result is an effective measurement of the amount

of oxygen in the blood.

 

A similar, no-finger-sticking-procedure using light and color for measuring
the amount of glucose in the blood would be great, but the wavelengths of
light

that indicate glucose can't be detected through the skin. One idea
scientists have proposed is using a glucose-sensitive material and
implanting it just

under the skin.

 

The glucose-sensitive material would change color depending on the amount of
glucose in the blood and reflect the changes in color to a reader worn by
the

user. Sound like science fiction? Well, it may be a reality in the not too
distant future. The materials needed have already been developed, and the
sensor's

color-changing abilities have been demonstrated in the lab.

 

Professor Arthur Epstein and doctoral student Louis Nemzer at Ohio State
University have been working on attaching an enzyme that changes color in
response

to glucose concentration to a biocompatible (easily accepted by the body)
polymer previously developed in Epstein's lab. Nemzer is studying the
optical

properties of 

polyaniline nanofibers

, which may be used to make optical biosensors, like a continuous glucose
monitoring system.

 

Licensing the technology is the next step, followed by more research in the
lab and then on to humans!

 

* * *

 

Sources:

 

http://www.medcitynews.com/index.php/2009/10/ohio-state-university-researche
rs-work-on-stick-free-blood-glucose-monitor/

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyaniline_nanofibers

 

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