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bloodsugar

 blood sugar levels without the prick
  (+5, -2)
(+5, -2) 		  [vote for,
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Use electromagnetic waves in the radio band to analyze blood sugar levels. Some research would need to be done to explore exactly how someone goes about doing this, but it seems quite feasible. Perhaps analyzing the cross-correlation function between the output signal and the received reflection would offer some insight. The device could sit in a wrist watch and display the most current reading. This would also allow the transmit and receive antennas to be place anywhere around the wrist. For sophisticated users, make the reading a hand on an analog watch so that others don't even know you are checking your blood-sugar levels.
—kumpf, Mar 03 2005

US patent 5,533,509 http://tinyurl.com/3jjes
non-invasive measurement of blood sugar level using light [xaviergisz, Mar 04 2005]

GlucoWatch http://www.glucowat...essional/index.html
One of four currently on the market. [reensure, Mar 04 2005]

Saccharimetry http://scholar.hw.a...hysics/glossary.asp
sugars rotate plane of polarizatrion under influence of magnetic field. [csea, Mar 07 2005]

Optical measuremsnt of glucoase in the Aqueous Humor http://www.maths.ox...blems/lein/lein.pdf
sugar content by confocal scan or other techniques, including polarization [csea, Mar 08 2005]

[link]






       sp: wrist, antennae.
So you are not actually proposing any mechanism for this?
—gnomethang, Mar 03 2005
   

       pl. an·ten·nas A metallic apparatus for sending or receiving electromagnetic waves. That is what was proposed. :)
—kumpf, Mar 04 2005
   

       light it electromagnetic, but not in the "radio" spectrum I mentioned. [see patent ref. on the left] the skin depth of light into human tissue is most likely far too small to see clearly into the artery as it passes through the wrist. Probably something more likely between 1MHz and 1GHz.
—kumpf, Mar 04 2005
   

       I stand corrected
—gnomethang, Mar 04 2005
   

       For this to work, glucose molecules must reflect radio waves. More glucose would make for more reflection. It is an interesting idea - glucose radar? But why do you think radio waves, particularly, would be reflected from glucose?
—bungston, Mar 04 2005
   

       I don't know the specifics about the resonant properties of glucose, but I image there is at least one harmonic of some sort in the mid-high radio band. I choose that band because of it's small circuit/antenna size and feasibility of prototyping. Could be some interesting research.
—kumpf, Mar 04 2005
   

       An HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) test is out of the scope of many fundamental service laboratories. It would be interesting to screen the general population for this erythrocyte buffer product. Not a useful reading for a continual monitoring device, due to its long term stability. To monitor continuously would be like wearing a watch that has only 30 day months.
—reensure, Mar 07 2005
   

       I'm surprised not to find references to use of saccharimetry to detect blood sugar level - essentially, sugars rotate the plane of polarization of light when subject to a magnetic field.   

       So: make some polarized light, shine through a fingertip or other body part, and detect the polarization of light coming out while varying an externally applied magnetic field. Blood sugar level should be correllated with the field required for a given degree of rotation of polarization.
—csea, Mar 07 2005
   

       OK, now you've got me interested. There seems to be some interest in optical measurements of the aqueous humour in the eye see [link] - this paper does call out confocal scanning, but does mention "polarization - since glucose is optically active."
—csea, Mar 08 2005
   

       I like the rotation of polarized light idea. One could shine light through the webbing of a finger and standardize it to a conventionally checked blood sugar reading.   

       This has strayed from the idea that certain molecules have "harmonics in the mid high radio band", which, if true, is even more provocative since it could be used to test any number of things - iron deposition in the liver, lead in the blood etc. [Kumpf], if you can teach me anything about radio resonance of molecules in solution, I will Kumpf you up a bun.
—bungston, Mar 08 2005
   
      
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