A University of ݮƵ research team is close to commercializing its health-tech breakthrough — a painless skin patch that continuously monitors blood glucose and ketone levels in patients with Type 1 diabetes.
Leading the research is Dr. Mahla Poudineh, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The patches are smaller than the size of a band-aid and send real-time results to patients’ smartphones or health-care providers.
These patches could mean the end to invasive and painful needle pricks.
“What distinguishes our patches from solid needles is that they are fully painless and compatible with the skin … they’re made out of hydrogels” said Poudineh. “These patches are solid before skin penetration, but upon insertion they start swelling by absorbing the fluid underneath the skin, which would make them flexible and quite compatible with the skin.”
The patches are also being developed for continuous monitoring of other health concerns like cardiovascular disease and lactate levels. This work is being done in collaboration with Dr. Leyla Soleymani’s research group at McMaster University.
The team of ݮƵ and McMaster researchers recently launched a spin-off company Aptec Health to bring the technology to market.
Go to Painless diabetes patch to replace needle pricks for the full story.