Implantable Glucose Monitor Undergoes Long Term in vivo Testing

By Joel ScanlonAug 22 2011

A glucose monitor that can be implanted in the patient is what the scientists at the Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo have been working on. The trials of a fluorescent fiber sensor for long-term in vivo continuous glucose monitoring have been published this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The results of the sensor have been found highly accurate, stable and sensitive for up to 140 days in mice. The sensor consists of glucose-responsive fluorescent hydrogels encapsulated in a fiber structure. This fiber is 1mm in diameter and can be easily injected under the skin and pulled out with a pair of tweezers.

The injectable light pipe glows in response to changes in blood glucose concentrations. There is a need for further calibration and testing of the sensor but it shows great promise. It is a big step forward from the current limitations that rely on current enzyme-based implanted glucose sensors, which are plagued by poor accuracy, stability and constantly require the use of oxygen.