Thursday, 28 March, 2024
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Wearable sensor provides minimally invasive glucose monitoring

Abbott has developed wearable sensor, used in conjunction with a smartphone, to to get a real-time glucose measurement, as well as trends, simply by holding it near the sensor.

With Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 14-day system, the company has aimed to help people with diabetes move away from traditional finger-stick testing towards continuous and minimally invasive glucose monitoring, which results in better health outcomes and overall diabetes management, says a Medgadget report.

The FreeStyle Libre 14-day system incorporates a wearable sensor that is placed on the back of the upper arm. The wearer can use their smartphone to get a real-time glucose measurement simply by holding it near the sensor. An app on the phone will display current glucose levels, information on how glucose levels are changing at that moment (rising or falling), and trends in glucose levels over the previous eight hours and up to 90 days.

The sensor is water-resistant and can be worn for up to 14 days. The company reports that users can shower and swim as normal, with no effect on device performance. A tiny filament samples the interstitial fluid at regular intervals to assess glucose levels.

From the app, the data is also automatically uploaded to the cloud, and can be accessed by clinicians to assist them in making treatment decisions.

Medgadget says that it had the opportunity to talk to Chris Thomas, director of biosensing technology at Abbott, to discuss advancements in this field and what the future holds for glucose monitoring and diabetes management.

[link url="https://www.medgadget.com/2019/09/freestyle-libre-14-day-system-interview-with-chris-thomas-director-of-biosensing-technology-abbott.html"]Full interview[/link]

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