New Method Developed by Researchers Allows Blood Glucose Monitoring with Smartphone

The US government’s National Institute of Standards and Technology has made a groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionize healthcare. Researchers have found a way to utilize the magnetometer on a regular cellphone to accurately measure the concentration of glucose in blood.

Most modern cell phones are equipped with a magnetometer that functions as a compass, detecting Earth’s magnetic field for navigation purposes. However, the NIST researchers have repurposed this technology to measure glucose levels in the blood. They believe that smartphones could potentially be used to detect various molecules and biomarkers in the bloodstream.

In a proof of concept study, researchers attached a small well containing a solution (used as a substitute for blood) and a strip of hydrogel to a cellphone. The hydrogel, a porous material that expands in water, was embedded with magnetic particles engineered to react to glucose or pH levels by expanding or contracting. Changes in pH levels can indicate different health conditions.

By monitoring the movement of magnetic particles in response to glucose levels, the magnetometer in the cellphone can accurately measure glucose concentrations. This high sensitivity could allow for future testing of glucose in saliva, which has a lower sugar concentration.

The NIST team highlighted that the smart hydrogels used in the study are cost-effective and easy to produce. They envision these hydrogels being sold as affordable test kits that can be attached to a smartphone for glucose level measurements. This innovative technique, published in the journal Nature Communications, could potentially offer a low-cost alternative to current glucose monitoring methods.