Research: No blood, only Sweat and Tears for Diabetes care read more at here www.spinonews.com/index.php/item/1011-research-no-blood-only-sweat-and-tears-for-diabetes-care

Researchers at the University of Wollongong's (UOW) Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM) have demonstrated Copper-based sensor capable of measuring glucose levels from body fluids other than blood.

Managing complex conditions such as diabetes could be made cheaper and simpler following development of a copper film that can detect glucose from body fluids containing salt, such as sweat or tears.

People with diabetes often have low levels of insulin, a hormone the converts sugars to energy, which means they have to closely watch their glucose or blood-sugar levels to prevent further chronic health complications.

The researchers forecast the copper film could be integrated into a wearable sensor or a smart watch, providing continual glucose readings to the wearer, which could also be sent via wirelessly to their doctor.

According to the Professor Yusuke Yamauchi, an ARC Future Fellow who joined ISEM from Japan's National Institute of Materials Science, glucose sensors based on copper have been intensively studied, owing to the material′s good conductivity, low cost, and superior performance. The cheap materials also make it ideal for use in remote areas where access to clinics and health specialists is difficult.

Professor Yamauchi  said, The sponge-like porous structure greatly increases the surface area and therefore enhances the sensitivity required to trigger an electrochemical signal. 

The extraordinary sensing performance of the copper film is probably attributed to its intrinsically good reaction toward glucose oxidation. This makes this copper film a good candidate for the direct detection of glucose to satisfy the requirements of diverse applications, such as diabetes management."

The research news was originally published on phys.org blog.