Synex Doctor, a Toronto-based biotech research company backed by Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI), has developed a tool that can measure blood glucose levels without pricking your finger. It uses a combination of low-field magnets and low-frequency radio waves to directly measure blood sugar levels non-invasively when a user inserts a finger into the device.
The tool uses magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), which is similar to an MRI. Jamie Near, an associate professor at the University of Toronto who specializes in MRS technology research, told Engadget that “(an) MRI uses magnetic fields to image the distribution of hydrogen protons in abundant water.” in the tissues of our body. “In MRS, the same basic principles are used to detect other hydrogen-containing chemicals.” When a user’s fingertip is placed within the magnetic field, the frequency of a specific molecule, in this case glucose, It is measured in parts per million. While this project focused on glucose, MRS could be used to measure metabolites, according to Synex, including lactate, ketones, and amino acids.
Matthew Rosen, a Harvard physicist whose research ranges from fundamental physics to bioimaging in the field of MRI, told Engadget that he thinks the device is “smart” and “a great idea.” Magnetic resonance technology is a common technique used for chemical analysis of compounds; However, traditional resonance technologies operate at high magnetic fields And they are very expensive.
Synex found a way to get clear readings of low magnetic fields. “They’ve really overcome the challenges by developing a method that has high sensitivity and high specificity,” Rosen says. “The truth is that I have been doing MRI for thirty years. “I never thought people could measure glucose with a tabletop machine… you could do it with a big machine without a problem.”
Professor Andre Simpson, a researcher and director of the center at the University of Toronto, also told Engadget that he believes Synex’s device is “the real deal.” “MRI machines can fit the entire human body and have been used to detect concentrations of molecules in the brain using localized spectroscopy,” he explained. “Synex has narrowed this technology down to measuring concentrations in a finger. I reviewed their technical document and saw how the instrument works.” Simpson said Synex’s ability to adapt MRS technology to a small box is an engineering feat.
We are incredibly excited to announce a breakthrough towards the solution of non-invasive glucose monitoring, the Holy Grail of self-measurement!https://t.co/uxvHE7FRJy pic.twitter.com/eqoIpmIVMM
— Synex (@synexmedical) November 10, 2023
To date, there are no commercially available devices that can measure blood glucose non-invasively. While there are continuous glucose monitors on the market that use microneedles, which are minimally invasivethere is still a risk of infection.
But there is competition in the realm of no-prick diagnostic tools. Get to know the laboratories is trying to get approval for a wearable glucose monitor that relies on custom-made Bio-RFID sensing technology, which uses radio waves to detect blood glucose levels in the palm of your hand. When the Know Labs device was tested with a DexcomG6 continuous glucose monitor in one study, blood glucose level readings using its palm sensor technology were only “within threshold” 46 percent of the time. While the readings technically meet FDA accuracy limits for a new blood glucose monitor, Know Labs is still working out kinks through scientific research before it can begin FDA clinical trials.
Another new company, Germany’s DiaMonTech, is currently developing a pocket diagnostic device which is still being tested and refined to measure glucose using “photothermal sensing.” It uses mid-infrared lasers that essentially scan tissue fluid at the tip of the finger to detect glucose molecules. CNBC and Bloomberg reported that even Apple has been “quietly developing” a sensor that can check your blood sugar levels through its wearable devices, although the company never confirmed this. A chief scientific officer at Synex, Mohana Ray, told Engadget that the company would eventually like to develop a wearable device. But further miniaturization was necessary before a commercial product could be brought to market.
Rosen says he’s still not sure how sensor technology can be adapted to smartwatches or wearable devices. But he can imagine a world in which these tools complement blood-based diagnostics. “Is it good enough for clinical use? I have to leave that to what the doctors have to say.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/researchers-use-magnetic-fields-for-non-solving-blood-glucose-monitoring-215052628.html?src=rss