Scientists at the American Penn State University and the Chinese Xiangtan University have developed a patch that can measure glucose levels based on sweat. This makes it easier for diabetes patients to regularly check blood sugar levels. Diabetes can also be diagnosed at an early stage, so that the hidden group of diabetics comes to light more quickly.
Sweat shows glucose levels
Currently, diabetes patients monitor glucose levels using an invasive method, which involves entering the body through a needle to draw blood. Instead of taking a blood test, the diabetes patient can simply stick the patch on the sweat glands and leave it on for minutes or even hours. The stickable contains a very small device that checks the glucose level in the sweat. In addition, it provides diabetes patients with a lot of information while exercising. For example, the degree of it
sweat loss, fluid balance and body temperature.
Other biomarkers from sweat can also be analyzed, allowing possible diseases to be detected and monitored at an early stage. For example, a shortage or excess of sweat can indicate a stroke or overheating, respectively
body. Other substances from sweat, such as urea and creatinine, may indicate kidney damage. The collected data can easily be read by the user with the naked eye.
Early stage development
For the time being, the smart patch is not yet available to the general public. The device is currently still being developed and the researchers are working on improving the technology and designing a smartphone app, so that users can gain more insight into all the collected data in the future. That information can then be shared in real-time with the doctor or nurse. The scientists have now found an industrial partner who will help scale up and conduct large-scale tests, so that the patch will be available on the market in the foreseeable future.