New Laser Device Measures Blood Glucose Levels Without Pin Pricks for Diabetics

Diabetics may have a new way to check their condition-without drawing blood. Scientists have created a new method that uses a laser to measure people's blood sugar.

The laser itself is still a bit large to be convenient and portable for patients. In fact, when the team first started, the laser was an experimental setup that filled up a moderate-sized workbench. It also needed an elaborate system to work. So far, though, the researchers have managed to solve the cooling problem so that the laser works at room temperature. The next step to make it useful to patients, though, is to shrink it.

"We are working hard to turn engineering solutions into useful tools for people to use in their daily lives," said Claire Gmachl, the project's senior researcher, in a news release. "With this work we hope to improve the lives of many diabetes sufferers who depend on frequent blood glucose monitoring."

The laser works when it's directed at a person's palm. The laser passes through the skin cells, without causing damage, and is partially absorbed by the sugar molecules in the patient's body. The researchers then use the amount of absorption in order to measure the level of blood sugar.

The key to this entire system is the infrared's laser's frequency. Mid-infrared light works well when it comes to detecting and interacting with blood sugar. Yet it's usually difficult to harness with standard lasers. In this case, though, the researchers used a new type of device that is particularly adept at producing mid-infrared frequencies: a quantum cascade laser.

"Because the quantum cascade laser can be designed to emit light across a very wide wavelength range, its usability is not just for glucose detection, but could conceivably be used for other medical sensing and monitoring applications," said Gmachl.

Currently, the scientists are working on shrinking the laser so that it can be used by patients. This could represent a new way to test blood glucose levels-without the sharp prick.

The findings are published in the journal Biomedical Optics Express.