Non-invasive Glucose Meter

Approximately 18 million people suffer from diabetes mellitus, also known as diabetes, only in the United States which is 5% of the total population. It is the seventh leading cause of death. By 2020, the cost associated with diabetic treatment is expected to rise as high as $192 billion (Freer, March 2011). There is no cure for diabetic till date. Measuring glucose level in a diabetic patient on a regular interval and administering insulin are the keys to keep him safe. Literature suggests that glucose must be measured 1 to 4 times a day in a diabetic patient. In conventional technique, blood sample is collected in an electrode strip glucose concentration is measured by making use of some chemical reactions – such as, reflectance photometry, absorbance photometry, and electrochemical methodology etc. These techniques are very painful for the patient as they involve pricking on the fingertip or some other areas of the body where a number of blood veins can be found. Moreover, the seemingly low cost electrode strips ($1) used in the glucose meters may become a significant expenditure over time for the patients requiring monitoring in frequent intervals. Research is going on to make this process less painful as well as cheaper, and one viable option is to use microwave techniques. In this article, the viabilities and challenges on designing such a microwave sensor is inquired that can measure glucose of a diabetic patient non-invasively.