Last Updated on May 4, 2024
Finger prick after finger prick after finger prick. It’s something that people with diabetes can do with their eyes closed (but we don’t recommend that). The idea of pricking your finger to test your glucose levels could become an idea of the past. Testing your glucose levels could become as simple as taking a deep breath.
One company in the United Kingdom is currently working on a breathalyzer glucose meter. The Centre for Process Innovation based in Wilton, United Kingdom is working on the new glucose meter that could completely change the way that people manage their diabetes.
The new device that is still in development would work similarly to an average breathalyzer. But how does a breathalyzer detect abnormal glucose levels in a person’s breath? The breathalyzer device contains polymers which react with acetone, which is one of the ketones produced in diabetics. The higher glucose levels in the body, the higher amount of acetones found in the breath.
Hopefully, this will be one of the first non-invasive meters that an average consumer can afford. There have been several attempts at creating a non-invasive meter, but most of these cost $1,000 or more, which can hardly be called affordable for the average person. There has not been an announcement on what the meter will cost, but it’s expected to be only slightly more expensive than many of the traditional meters currently on the market.
The hope is that with something as simple as using the breathalyzer would increase overall diabetes management. Currently checking glucose levels is painful, cumbersome, and frustrating, especially for newly diagnosed diabetics. The easier it is to check glucose levels, the more often people with diabetes will check their levels.
The breathalyzer could have an enormous impact on younger diabetics. Using the typical glucose meter can be scary and confusing for younger children. Teaching a younger diabetic how to use a breathalyzer meter (and getting them to use it) is expected to be much easier than the traditional meter. No longer would children have to suffer through the pain and fear of having their fingers pricked multiple times a day.
While the goal of the new device is to completely replace finger pricking, it’s still unknown exactly how accurate these breathalyzers are going to be. It’s been proven that a higher amount of acetone in the breath is a side effect of high blood glucose, but it still isn’t known if the higher acetone has a direct correlation between glucose levels.
When first developed, the device was much larger than a normal glucose meter, about the size of a book. The researchers have worked to get the meter down to the size of a typical glucose meter. The meter is around the size of a large coffee cup, but they are going to aim to make it look like a typical breathalyzer, which would make it easier to carry around in a purse or backpack.
While this is exciting news for diabetics, it might not work for everyone. Many experts believe the breathalyzer will only be useful for type 2 diabetics that aren’t required to take insulin as a treatment. So for many type 1 and type 2 diabetics they could be stuck with finger pricking for a little longer, but as more research and development is conducting with the new device, this could change.
Only time will tell if the breathalyzer testing method is a viable option for any diabetic, but if it isn’t, this is still a significant advancement towards finding new testing methods.
So take a deep breath, the finger pricking could almost be over.
