A drop of sweat can be used to determine blood sugar levels: Tomsk scientists have developed a smart patch.
Researchers at Tomsk Polytechnic University have created a compact device that accurately measures glucose levels through sweat. This innovative smart patch will significantly improve the lives of people with diabetes.
How does a smart patch for diabetics work?
The main problem with most modern sensors is their bulkiness due to the need for a separate battery. However, a new development by TPU scientists has solved this problem by combining a sensor and a flexible supercapacitor into a single system.
Furthermore, this system records changes in blood sugar levels in just five seconds. The sensor specifically detects glucose and does not confuse it with other sweat components such as salt, urea, lactate, ascorbic acid, and uric acid.
Successful tests and development prospects
Engineers have already tested the system—a flexible patch, a power management module, and a Bluetooth transmitter—on a volunteer during a 40-minute workout. During this time, the sensor continuously monitored glucose levels in real time and sent the data directly to a smartphone. Consequently, control measurements using professional equipment confirmed the high accuracy of the new method.
TPU notes that the development opens up broad prospects for personalized medicine, making life easier for people with diabetes, as well as for sports diagnostics when assessing physical activity.
Context: Shortage of test strips and insulin in the regions
However, the scientists' development comes amid a serious healthcare crisis. Specifically, the Tomsk region is currently experiencing shortages of even standard test strips and subsidized insulin. Parents of children with diabetes previously reported that supply shortages have been ongoing for two months.
Unfortunately, residents of other regions are also complaining about the lack of subsidized medications and testing kits for diabetes patients. For example, the head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Alexander Bastrykin, ordered a criminal investigation into problems with providing blood sugar monitoring devices to children with disabilities in the Vladimir region. Meanwhile, in Ulyanovsk, a criminal case for negligence against local health ministry officials for the same reason was recently opened.
