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An electrochemical sensor has been developed to detect glucose in tears
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Scientists have developed and successfully tested a new electrochemical sensor that can measure glucose levels in tears instead of blood. This development will allow 350 million people with diabetes to forget about injections that are traditionally used in tests to obtain information about blood glucose levels. The report is described in the journal Analytical Chemistry AC.
The author of the development, Mark Meyerhoff and his colleagues say that about 5 percent of the world's population (and about 26 million people in the United States alone) live with diabetes. Diabetes is a rapidly growing health problem due to a sharp global increase in obesity, which makes people susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes. People with diabetes must monitor their blood glucose levels several times a day to make sure they are within a safe range. Existing portable glucose meters require a drop of blood, which patients obtain by pricking their finger with a small pin or lancet. However, some patients experience these regular pricks very painfully. That is why the team of scientists began developing a new device that would allow them to obtain data on blood sugar levels without pain, namely, using tears as a material.
Experiments conducted on rabbits showed that glucose levels in tears correspond to blood glucose levels. “This method could therefore be used as a repeated glucose measurement throughout the day without the potential pain of repeated injections,” the researchers say.
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