Australian scientists develop painless blood sugar test for diabetics

SYDNEY, July 13 (Reuters) – Australian scientists say they have developed the “holy grail” of blood sugar tests for diabetics, a non-invasive test strip that checks blood sugar through saliva.

For people with diabetes, managing their blood sugar usually means pricking their fingers several times a day with a lancet and then placing a drop of blood on a test strip. Naturally, some diabetics avoid the painful process by minimizing their tests.

However, the latter test works by incorporating an enzyme that detects glucose into a transistor that can then transmit the presence of glucose, according to Paul Dastoor, professor of physics at Newcastle University in Australia, who led the team that l ‘created.

Since the electronic materials of the transistor are inks, the test can be done by printing at low cost, Dastoor said.

“The holy grail of blood sugar testing has been non-invasive,” said Dastoor.

“[This test] really opens up the prospect of painless, low cost blood sugar testing and hopefully much better results for people with diabetes, ”he said.

The new test, Dastoor said, was created by chance while scientists were working on solar cells.

The project secured AU $ 6.3 million ($ 4.7 million) in funding from the Australian government to establish a facility to produce the test kits if the clinical trials were successful.

Dastoor says the technology could also be transferred to COVID-19 testing and testing for allergens, hormones and cancer.

The university is already working with Harvard University on a test for COVID-19 using the same technology, but it’s the implications for other tests that get the physicist excited about the potential of the sensors.

“I think this will radically change the way we think about medical devices and especially sensors, because we can print them at a remarkably low cost,” Dastoor said.

($ 1 = AU $ 1.3360)

Reporting by Stefica Nicol Bikes; Writing by Colin Packham; Edited by Christian Schmollinger

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