New Skin Patch Monitors Glucose and Delivers Diabetes Drugs
People with diabetes need to closely monitor their blood glucose levels multiple times every day, usually using a device that pricks their finger for a blood test to assess whether they need insulin shots or other drugs. Since blood collection and shots can be painful, not all patients do it as regularly as they need to—which can lead to dangerous fluctuations in their blood glucose levels.
Now, researchers in Korea have just developed a wearable, and potentially disposable, glucose monitoring and drug-delivery system that uses sweat, not blood, to determine glucose levels.