POHANG, Sept. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — A team of South Korean researchers has unveiled a wearable device that can measure blood sugar in real time using only a person’s sweat, a potential breakthrough for diabetes management that avoids the need for finger pricks or invasive patches.
The research team, led by Professor Han Sae-kwang at POSTECH in collaboration with InHandPlus, created a smartwatch-style system that integrates a microfluidic sensor, micro-LEDs, optical hydrogels and light detectors.
When sweat contacts the sensor, it produces fluorescent signals that vary with glucose levels; the signals are then converted into electronic data, allowing users to monitor blood sugar continuously.
Unlike existing non-invasive sensors, which often lose sensitivity within two weeks and can cause skin irritation, the new device maintained accuracy for more than 30 days in trials.
It also demonstrated a high correlation with actual blood glucose readings and could simultaneously track oxygen levels and heart rate, expanding its use as a multifunctional health monitoring tool.
The findings were published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics. Han said the technology, once commercialized, could make glucose monitoring “simpler, less painful, and more reliable” for millions of diabetes patients worldwide.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
