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Monitoring blood sugar is an integral part of managing diabetes. The number of people with diabetes kissing cloud based Blood sugar monitoring technologies for keeping in touch with doctors at home have increased dramatically since the pandemic made containment necessary. People with diabetes can use a smartphone to monitor their blood sugar by placing it over a small sensor on the back of their arm. The conventional finger prick method has been replaced by this technology.
“This allows patients to actively participate in their care, even from a distance,†a Dunedin-based pediatric endocrinologist associate professor said of cloud-based diabetes data sharing. By being able to share their data so easily, the clinic continues almost as if there is no interruption.
n the goal of making life easier for people with diabetes, researchers at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI), New Zealand, have succeeded in advancing a needle-free technology closer to reality, allowing people with diabetes to assess their blood sugar levels without having to stick a needle through their fingers. Researchers focused on needle-less jet injection, a new but well-developed approach that involves delivering a drug directly through a narrow stream of fluid at high speed.
In a study published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, ABI researchers demonstrated for the first time that a jet injector could be used to take blood samples from humans, i.e. release enough blood for glucose collection without the need for needles.
People with diabetes usually need to monitor their blood sugar several times a day by pricking their fingers with a needle to release a drop of blood measured by a glucometer, which reveals how much insulin is needed to keep their blood sugar stable.
Due to the high density of blood vessels at the fingertip, this is the best place to take a blood sample. However, fingertips are delicate, and the pain, skin damage, bruising, and risk of infection associated with regular ‘bites’ have prompted increased efforts to develop needle-free blood testing methods for diabetics. .
A jet injection is attractive for several reasons, including the apparent fact that many people do not like having a needle stick. The University of Auckland’s ABI Bioinstrumentation Lab has been studying jet injection for years, including designing jet injectors for the delivery of drugs like insulin, nicotine and as a local anesthetic for dental treatments. .
Researchers have proven that the device can be used to pierce the skin with a small amount of harmless saline, releasing enough blood for measuring glucose concentration – rather than injection.
In addition, the team is now investigating whether jet injection can be used not only to release blood, but also to aspirate fluid. This would allow an even smaller nozzle to be developed. They have the know-how, having manufactured the world’s first jet injection device that uses electric motors to pressurize the drug, allowing more precise control than the more conventional spring-loaded injector.
Additionally, says one of the professors at ABI’s bioinstrumentation lab, “Our technique is capable of both delivering and withdrawing fluid. No other jet spray technology has this capability.”
Developing a reversible, single-lancet-less technology that allows both blood collection and insulin delivery based on glucose measurement in a single device is a long game, he says, but he believes current research will contribute to the goal of developing a single lancet. -Free reversible technology that will allow both blood collection and insulin delivery based on glucose measurement in a single device. “I hope this research can help with that, as well as improvements in human health care, especially in the management of diabetes,” added the researcher.
According to OpenGov Asia, the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI) recently received funding from the Health Research Council (HRC) to conduct a pilot study in which they will test a portable temperature sensing technology they developed to detect early signs of foot complications in people with diabetes. 2. Prototype technology is an inexpensive device designed for home monitoring to detect the first signs of foot complications.
It does this by measuring temperature asymmetries. According to research, temperature differences between our feet – for example, if the sole of the left foot is warmer than the same spot on the right foot – is indicative of compromises in blood flow. This can lead to foot ulcers and, in severe cases, amputation. There is currently no method to objectively assess the temperature differences in our feet.
The device has been improved to be more user-friendly from its previous iteration. Patients are positioned on a platform that detects and maps tiny temperature differences. Research Activation Grant funding will allow researchers to test the device by collaborating with an Auckland podiatry clinic and real patients.
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