Graphene Patch Monitors Sugar Levels In Sweat

This non-invasive device not only takes continuous glucose measurements but can also automatically deliver drugs if the glucose levels are too high.

AsianScientist (Mar. 29, 2016) – Researchers in South Korea have created a wearable graphene-based patch that allows accurate diabetes monitoring and feedback therapy by analyzing human sweat. The paper was published in Nature Nanotechnology.

Insulin is produced in the pancreas and regulates the use of glucose, helping to maintain a balance in blood sugar levels. Diabetes causes an imbalance: insufficient amounts of insulin results in high blood glucose levels, known as hyperglycemia.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and has no known cure. The current treatments available to diabetics are painful, inconvenient and costly; regular visits to a doctor and home testing kits are needed to record glucose levels. Patients also have to inject uncomfortable insulin shots to regulate glucose levels.

There is a significant need for non-invasive, painless, and stress-free monitoring of important markers of diabetes using multifunctional wearable devices. To address this need, a research team from the Center for Nanoparticle Research at South Korea’s Institute of Basic Sciences has developed a flexible patch that can non-invasively analyze glucose levels from the patient’s sweat.

“Our wearable graphene-based device is capable of not only sweat-based glucose and pH monitoring but also controlled transcutaneous drug delivery through temperature-responsive microneedles,” added Associate Professor Kim Dae-Hyeong from the Center for Nanoparticle Research.

The device retains its original sensitivity after multiple measurements of sweat glucose concentrations, thereby allowing for multiple treatments, according to Kim.

During the team’s research, two healthy males participated in tests to demonstrate the sweat-based glucose sensing of the device. Glucose and pH levels of both subjects were recorded; a statistical analysis confirmed the reliable correlation between sweat glucose data from the diabetes patch and those from commercial glucose tests.

If abnormally high levels of glucose are detected, a drug is released into a patient’s bloodstream via drug loaded microneedles. The malleable, semi-transparent skin-like appearance of the graphene device provides easy and comfortable contact with human skin, allowing the sensors to remain unaffected by any skin deformations while enabling stable sensing and efficient drug delivery.

The scientific team also demonstrated the therapeutic effects by experimenting on diabetic mice. Researchers pierced the skin of diabetic mice with microneedles and released metformin, an insulin-regulating drug, into the bloodstream. The group treated with microneedles showed a significant suppression of blood glucose concentrations with respect to control groups.

“One can easily replace the used microneedles with new ones. Treatment with metformin through the skin is more efficient than that through the digestive system because the drug is directly introduced into metabolic circulation through the skin,” said Kim.

“These advances using nanomaterials and devices provide new opportunities for the treatment of chronic diseases like diabetes.”



The article can be found at: Lee et al. (2016) A Graphene-based Electrochemical Device with Thermoresponsive Microneedles for Diabetes Monitoring and Therapy.

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Source: Institute for Basic Science.
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