Precise and painless thanks to THz technology

Measuring blood glucose without a needle

Researchers at the University of Duisburg-Essen have developed a new method that measures blood glucose levels on the fingernail - without the need for a needle prick. Instead of piercing the skin, it uses terahertz waves that penetrate through the fingernail into the nail bed and are reflected there.

Terahertz technology is based on electromagnetic waves with a wavelength between microwaves and infrared radiation. It enables a detailed analysis of biological tissue without affecting it. For people with diabetes, the development by the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) could provide an alternative to conventional blood glucose measurement, which until now has usually required a prick in the skin.

The method is based on a miniaturized terahertz sensor that transmits high-frequency waves of a specific frequency bandwidth (e.g. 300 GHz) through the fingernail into the nail bed, which is well supplied with blood. The reflected signals change depending on the blood glucose concentration, which the sensor records and evaluates according to the frequency behavior with the help of an AI and assigns to the corresponding blood glucose level. Initial evaluations of the concept on the model and realistic blood values show a sensitivity of the reflected signal to the glucose concentration of 0.2 dB/(mmol/L) at 300 GHz. If the reflection behavior over the entire frequency range is now viewed through the eyes of an AI, the blood glucose level can be determined even more sensitively and thus more accurately. Due to its small size of just a few mm2, the sensor could be integrated into everyday objects such as key rings or artificial fingernails.

The engineers at UDE are among the leading researchers in the field of miniaturized terahertz systems. With the support of PROvendis, a patent has been filed for the blood glucose sensor technology developed - an important step towards a possible application. The team is currently working on an AI-supported system to further improve measurement accuracy.

The sensor concept is the result of a research collaboration with a total of eight scientists from three disciplines at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) and one scientist from TU Darmstadt. "Our team has broken new ground here, and this development could fundamentally change the way people control their blood sugar," says Materials Chain member Prof. Dr. Daniel Erni, who is leading the project.

https://www.uni-due.de/cenide/en/news-detail.php?id=precise-and-painless-thanks-to-thz-technology