KAUST researchers have developed a sensor that can measure glucose levels in saliva, offering diabetics an alternative means to monitor glucose levels in their blood. © 2023 KAUST; Anastasia Serin.

An innovative device could pave the way for more convenient diabetes monitoring.

A prototype sensor that measures glucose levels in saliva could eventually offer a simple, rapid and painless way for people to monitor their diabetes, according to the KAUST researchers behind the technology.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body cannot regulate its blood glucose levels. Raised glucose levels can lead to cardiovascular disease and other conditions, so it is vital that people with diabetes maintain their blood glucose at moderate levels.

Professor Thomas Anthopoulos and Abhinav Sharma (pictured above) are now developing an array of transistor sensors that could simultaneously detect multiple metabolites in saliva. © 2023 KAUST; Anastasia Serin.

People with diabetes have traditionally monitored their blood glucose using devices that analyze a drop of blood though pricking a finger several times a day. More recently, implanted sensors can provide continuous glucose monitoring without unpleasant pinpricks, but these devices can be less accurate for lower glucose levels and are not approved for children.

A more convenient way to monitor glucose could be through testing saliva, which is correlated to blood glucose levels. But glucose concentrations are much lower in saliva than in blood, which has made it difficult to measure accurately without sophisticated laboratory equipment.

The KAUST team has now created a highly sensitive glucose detector based on a thin-film transistor. These small, lightweight and low-power devices could be suitable for mass production as inexpensive disposable sensors, says team member Abhinav Sharma. “An easy-to-use noninvasive glucose-measuring device using saliva as a medium could be life-changing for millions of patients worldwide,” he says.

Read more at KAUST Discovery.