A tattoo to make life easier for diabetics
For many diabetics, daily life is often punctuated by many constraints , such as checking blood sugar several times a day. Much research has been done to relieve the daily lives of patients, in particular to prevent them from pricking their fingertips.
The solution might have been found! Indeed, a team of engineers from the University of California have created a tattoo capable of measuring blood sugar levels. But this tattoo wouldn’t do just that. It would also be able to extract excess glucose. The results of this study were forgotten in Analytical Chemistry (1) .
How does it work ?
The tattoo is flexible, it contains electrodes which are implanted on tattoo paper. After applying the tattoo to the skin, the device emits an electric current for about ten minutes. This current is very light. But it will allow the tattoo to analyze blood glucose . The current causes, in fact, a migration of the sodium ions which are between the blood and the cells, towards the skin. These ions carry with them the molecules of glucose. The tattoo, thanks to a sensor, will then be able to calculate the glucose level in the wearer’s blood, simply by measuring the electrical charge produced by the glucose molecules.
Is it really effective?
The researchers tested the tattoo on 7 men and women, with no history of diabetes, and aged between 20 and 40. After consuming a carbohydrate-rich meal, consisting of a sandwich and a soda, the tattoo was able to detect the blood sugar spike.
The device therefore works like a normal blood glucose meter. Some constraints, however, are still to be deplored. Indeed, the reading of the results is still very difficult, this does not allow a patient to be able to interpret the results of his glycemia. The operating time of the tattoo is also very short-lived, since the device only works for one day .
So there are still a few things to improve before this tattoo goes on sale. Once the device is well manufactured, it could also be equipped with Bluetooth technology, allowing information to be shared with, for example, the doctor, which would make the follow-up of diabetics even more complete.
The device could also be used in pathologies other than diabetes , such as delivering drugs, or even detecting the level of alcohol or drugs in the blood.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.