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November 11, 2003

Blood Tests and Insulin Injections

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Question from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA:

At my last visit to my son’s endocrinologist we started discussing alternatives to finger prick blood tests. He mentioned that there was a noninvasive test now being researched that would possibly be able to test blood sugar levels by using the sound waves in the ear. I have not heard of this before. Do you know anything about this and where I might go to find out more?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

I am not sure if this is the device you were thinking of, but it is a non invasive infrared glucose sensor which is not yet in production. See SugarTrac. In the interim there are some almost ‘painless’ testing devices to consider. See Alternate Site Testing.

DOB
Additional comments from Shirley Goodman, diabetes nurse specialist:

While I am not aware of sound waves being used to measure blood glucose levels, I am aware of research using a device that attaches to the earlobe and measures blood glucose levels with ‘light waves’. Perhaps this is what the endocrinologist was trying to convey. The device I am aware of is not in production at this time, but is in human study.

SG