Comparative Study of Current Approaches for Minimally Invasive and Non-invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring

摘要

Monitoring of blood glucose for people with diabetes is an important element of managing the disease. Frequent monitoring can help to prevent both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia and thereby would contribute to reduce adverse complications associated with the disease. As the current methods of blood glucose monitoring are invasive, many people do not adhere to it as painful finger pricks and other complications are associated with it. Noninvasive methods for the same are long sought goals. A noninvasive self monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) device would allow the people with diabetes to test their blood glucose as often as necessary and perhaps in real time and will improve adherence. Although glucose in other body fluids (for example urine, sweat, tears and saliva) can be measured non-invasively, blood glucose levels do not register quickly in these fluids, which is problematic for diabetics. Hence it is mandatory to measure blood glucose instead of measuring it in any other body fluid. In this paper we have done a detailed study of the current approaches which are under various stages of research and development, for noninvasive self-monitoring of blood glucose. A comparative study has been presented based on the various aspects associated with each approach. Again the feasibility of these approaches to develop as a stand alone, portable, real time, noninvasive and accurate glucose monitor has been investigated. Finally, based on the study, a method has been suggested which has potential to cater the performance aspects of the so-called noninvasive SMBG device.