Plaster-Like Microlaser Device Accurately Measures Glucose Levels

Medical Design Briefs INSIDER

A plaster measures biomarkers that can indicate health or disease through sweat. (Credit: Nanyang Technological University)

Scientists have developed a plaster that measures body biomarkers that can indicate health or disease through sweat, paving the way for a new noninvasive and effective way for patients to monitor their health.

Human sweat contains biomarkers such as glucose, lactate and urea that indicate various health conditions and can be collected in a non-invasive and painless manner, making it ideal for daily monitoring.

Diabetic patients typically use an invasive finger prick test to self-monitor blood glucose levels. Patients have to prick their fingers to collect a small drop of blood on a strip before inserting it into a portable glucose meter for a reading. An alternative is sensor-based monitoring devices, which are expensive and rigid and must be attached to the patient’s skin over prolonged periods.

By encapsulating a microlaser in liquid crystal droplets and embedding the liquid within a soft hydrogel film, the NTU team created a compact and flexible light-based sensing device — like a plaster which can provide highly accurate biomarker readings within minutes.

The team created their plaster device by embedding microlasers in liquid crystal droplets. The microlasers are customized pick up three different types of biomarkers (lactate, glucose, urea). A different colored liquid crystal dot on the plaster distinguishes each biomarker. When sweat interacts with the plaster, the amount of light emitted by the microlasers fluctuates based on the concentration of biomarkers present. To read the biomarker levels, users shine a light source on the plaster, and the light emitted from the microlaser sensors is analyzed and translated using a mobile application.

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