diabetes

Got diabetes? No more pricks, just breathe on this

Our breath can say a lot about us--and not just what we had for lunch.

Engineers at the University of Florida are reporting that they have designed a tiny and affordable sensor that can do what has up until now been considered impossible: detect glucose (as well as pH and alkalinity) levels in breath condensate.

Fan Ren, professor of chemical engineering and a researcher for this project, says that the team's most recent research, published in the January issue of IEEE Sensors Journal, upsets long-held assumptions that glucose levels in breath are too small for accurate readings; the sensor, … Read more

Teen scientists vie for $100,000 prize in N.Y.

First, 2,151 high school students registered to compete. Then 414 regional and semifinalists were chosen. Today, an elite group of just 20 finalists is gathering in New York for the highly prestigious--not to mention high stakes--Siemens Competition in Math, Science, & Technology.

The grand prize, at $100,000, could actually put one of these kids through about half of college, if they don't already have other scholarship offers flooding their mailboxes.

The 20 student presentations are scheduled for live broadcast on Sunday, December 6, at 1 p.m. EST, while the press conference announcing the winners will … Read more

Glucogrip monitors glucose levels, resembles iPhone

Blood glucose monitoring has improved greatly in recent years, with devices getting smaller, cheaper, and faster--a good thing, since almost 8 percent of Americans are diabetic, according to some estimates, and are encouraged to monitor their blood glucose levels anywhere from one to a dozen times a day.

So it should come as no surprise that the next-gen device, introduced by Italian product developer Giulio Sbarigia, is even smaller and faster, and bears some resemblance to the iPhone.

Designed by Pelikan, Sbarigia describes his device as ergonomic, with 50 tiny needles that are easy to load, supposedly painless, and leave … Read more

Electronic tongue is sensitive to matters of taste

At the American Chemical Society's 238th National Meeting in Washington Monday, researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign announced "the first practical 'electronic tongue' sensor" that identifies sources of sweetness and then changes colors depending on the type and quantity of sweeteners present.

Under the leadership of chemistry professor Kenneth S. Suslick--who may or may not return my phone call to explain, among other pressing matters, what is going on in his university Web site photograph--the Illinois team developed a sensor about the size of a business card that can simply be dipped into food samples. "We take things that smell or taste and convert their chemical properties into a visual image," Suslick said in a press release.

I can't help but cut to an image of a white-tablecloth restaurant with a little sign that asks patrons to please be discreet when pulling out their tongues.… Read more

Dashboard setup keeps tabs on diabetic drivers

If someone with diabetes is driving down the road and starts to feel a hypoglycemic attack coming on, that person may realize what's happening and stop to get a bite to eat. Or not, which could lead to trouble. That latter scenario inspired Medtronic's "M-Powered Concept Car" and its onboard glucose-monitoring system.

With data transmitted via Bluetooth, the wireless setup lets people wearing a continuous glucose-monitoring system (CGMS) get readings of their blood sugar levels through audio and visual cues from the car's dashboard. Medtronic, a medical-device manufacturing company, premiered the car at the 68th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, … Read more

Diabetes breath test may be possible

A new study shows that children with type-1 diabetes exhale significantly higher levels of methyl nitrate when their blood sugar is high. That might not sound like earth-shattering news, but it could mean that diabetics have a noninvasive way to check their blood-sugar levels down the road.

Breath samples were taken from 10 children while they were in a hyperglycemic state and at intervals after they were given insulin. Those samples were then sent to a lab that normally studies air pollution. Their research allows them to detect trace chemicals in the atmosphere. They tested the breath samples for more … Read more

Future of diabetes devices could be a 'Charmr'

It's never easy living with a chronic disease--let alone one like diabetes, which constantly challenges patients' willpower and requires self-administered medications.

Amy Tenderich, who writes the blog DiabetesMine.com, is one of 20 million Americans diagnosed with the illness. In a post in April, Tenderich wrote an "Open Letter to Steve Jobs," hoping to appeal to the creative mastermind.

She asked him to come up with an innovative product that would enable diabetics to throw away their bulky gear--blood glucose monitors and insulin pumps--for trendier contraptions that would perform the same functions. Although Tenderich's plea got … Read more

RFID implant for a healthier diet

See, we told you. RFID is taking over the world. We can now add diabetic monitoring to the infinite list of RFID applications.

Unlike the chips that are inevitably destined for our brains, however, this implanted device seems to have an indisputably worthy goal. VeriChip's invention is designed to help diabetics--and presumably others with high blood sugar--check their glucose levels without the need to break the skin through traditional testing methods. The implanted chip, which The Wireless Report says can be injected, transmits the glucose levels to scanners without the need for batteries. That sounds even easier to operate … Read more