A team of South Korean scientists announced Tuesday that they have developed a wearable device, based on nanotechnology, to more conveniently monitor diabetes.
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When it notices glucose levels are dropping, it can use a network of micro-needles to inject a tuned dose of drugs to correct it. The team claims that the integrated design is much more convenient for diabetes sufferers, who typically have to keep an eye on their glucose levels and then self-medicate depending on the results.
Diabetes patients may have a new option for controlling their condition.
Existing smart patches gauge blood sugar merely in sweat. Funding for the study was provided by the Institute for Basic Science in the Republic of Korea. It is a very thin, soft, flexible and transparent material.
There are a few questions to be answered, though, as brought up by a professor at the University of Bath well-versed in diabetes regulation, Richard Guy. The other option is continuous glucose monitoring, which requires that a sensor be placed underneath the skin and worn constantly.
The patch uses sweat to determine “sweat glucose”, which can be used to figure out blood glucose levels. It was approved in 2001, but patients complained of discomfort and sores, and the device was pulled from the market in 2007.
Next, the wristband shares sensor data wirelessly with a mobile device, which calculates the proper dose of metformin and has the wristband administer it through an array of microneedles. The drug (metformin) system consists of microneedles, a temperature sensor and a heater. Over six hours, the drug – delivered through the skin – was able to drop blood sugar levels from 400 milligrams per deciliter to 120 milligrams per deciliter, the researchers said. However, further studies are needed before it can be used by diabetes patients.
“They have proved the concept – that a sweat patch can do the monitoring and can deliver a drug transdermally [through the skin]”.
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In a proof-of-concept study published in Nature Nanotechnology, IBS researchers tested the sensing accuracy of the device on two healthy adult men and found a reliable correlation between the device’s readings and those performed with a commercially available glucose monitor. This enables stable sensing and efficient drug delivery.
