We love a bit of medical tech here at T3 Towers, especially considering the field has seen some of the most awe-inspiring developments and innovations - the use of 3D printing to recreate everything from limbs to blood vessels being one such marvel. So when we heard about a new patch that can read your blood sugar levels we were more than a little intrigued.
Currently in the prototype stage, the see-through patch is made of graphene (a form of carbon that's 100 times stronger than steel and an ideal conductor of heat and electricity) and uses a series of ultra-thin sensors that monitor the pH/chemical balance and the temperature of your skin.
The patch then beams this data direct to a bespoke smartphone app that can then determine your blood sugar levels. The patch also contains diabetes medicine, and a series of minature needles can then inject the medicine straight into your body.
While its far from ready for commercial use, the patch - designed by a team of researchers at Seoul National University in South Korea - the potential for its use are huge. Not only would being able to monitor blood sugar enable patients and doctors to track onset or current Diabetes conditions, it could also make the injection of medicine such as insulin far less painless for children.
(Photo credits: Hui Won Yun/Seoul National University)
Via: Nature
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