Are there any new glucose testing methods on the horizon?
Researchers are currently evaluating continuous, less invasive, and less intrusive methods of glucose testing. Minimed, one of the companies that makes insulin infusion pumps, has a glucose sensor contained in a needle device that can be placed under the skin. It is connected via a wire to a recording device the size of a pager or cell phone worn on the body. This glucose sensor can record several hundred blood glucose levels over a two- to three-day period. The information can be downloaded and analyzed in the doctor’s office and provide detailed information that may be helpful in making treatment recommendations. This device is approved by the United Stated Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is available in the United States. The GlucoWatch Biographer is an automatic glucose testing device that also shows shows some promise. This device is worn as a band around the arm and uses a tiny electrical current to draw a sample of fluid (like sweat or plasma) through the skin and into a
