FEBRUARY, 2019 | Th e HEALTH
TECH & INNOVATION
19
19
No need
to bleed
MIMOS has created the fi rst ‘bloodless’
glucose test, dubbed GlucoSenz
A
Zalhan Md Yusof, Head of Department
of MIMOS Photonics R&D is the one
leading the team in developing the
GlucoSenz.
PIONEER: Shahiman and the team
at MIMOS plan to have GlucoSenz
available to the public late 2019.
CCORDING to the World
Health Organisation
(WHO), more than 420
million people suff er from
diabetes. The emphasis
on the urgency to tackle
diabetes can also be sweetened by the
fact that according to National Diabetes
Institute (Nadi), Malaysia has the high-
est rate of diabetes in Asia. If that isn’t a
cause of alarm, what is?
It’s well-known that diabetics have
to test their blood sugar several times a
day, usually by pricking their fi nger with
a lancet. Th is can be uncomfortable and
painful for many, which can result in less
frequent testing and therefore a poorer
control of blood sugar levels.
After seven years of extensive
research, National applied research
and development agency, MIMOS,
has announced a major breakthrough
in medical device technology with
the unveiling of a non-invasive, non-
intrusive and non-destructive device for
blood glucose screening, the GlucoSenz.
No needle, doctor?
Yes, you heard that right. Th e machine
works simply by placing your thumb
on the thumb module, where light will
be projected. Th e refl ected light is then
collected by a fibre-optic probe that
guides the light to a detector. Th e light
spectrum of the blood is then analysed
by a built-in software module. Th e blood
glucose level then appears on the LCD
display.
“A non-invasive method is much
safer. With the usage of needles and
blood analysing, there is always a risk of
infection, especially in a hospital or clinic
setting. When we started the GlucoSenz
project, we were informed that one out
six Malaysians suff ers from diabetes.
The GlucoSenz device uses light to detect and calculate the level of glucose in
our blood, no fi nger pricking needed.
And most pre-diabetes patients have
no idea that they are suff ering from the
disease. Also, a lot of them are afraid of
needles, which does not help when they
need to monitor their blood sugar levels.
Th erefore we hope GlucoSenz can cause
a rise in awareness and the willingness
to get tested,” explains Zalhan Md Yusof,
Head Department of MIMOS Photonics
R&D.
Prevention is
better than cure
With it being non-invasive, it will be
cost-saving it the long run, says Mohd
Shahiman Sulaiman, Senior Director
of MIMOS R&D. “Hospitals and clinics
will also reduce cost in the long run as
alcohol swabs, lances and test strips will
no longer be used. We’re also looking
forward to it functioning in the future as
more than just a glucometer, like in jaun-
dice application in babies. Non-invasive
will be the best method for babies in the
future.”
According to Shahiman, there has
been other non-invasive glucometers
present in the market, however most
of them are rather individual in nature
– it is for personal use by individuals.
GlucoSenz’s main aim is to have non-
invasive glucometers be used by clinics
and hospitals as a safer, much more sani-
tary testing method. Additionally, some
glucometers in the market are still partly
invasive, with the use of microneedles
despite claiming as being non-invasive.
Having said that, MIMOS is defi nitely
looking to miniaturise the technology.
“One of the pull for these medical tech-
nologies is that in the past, people were
more concerned on trying to cure dis-
eases. Now, people are taking proactive
measures to prevent the disease instead.
Th erefore, we are also currently working
on miniaturising the device thus making
it more accessible,” says Shahiman.
Th is means that the technology could
very well be in smaller, consumer-sized
form factor as well. Th is may be able to
disrupt self-testing for diabetics as they
would feel a lot more comfortable testing
their blood sugar levels on a daily basis.
Homebase Testing
After the photonics team got the Glu-
cosenz fi nalised, they had a thought;
Why not try it in house and let their
colleagues test their invention? After all,
it’s not only for diabetics but also people
who are health conscious.
“It was impressive. Th e moment our
colleagues came back from their meals,
they would immediately measure their
blood glucose level, thus observing if
they are consuming the right food and
nutrition. They would then start to
adjust their lifestyle and food habits,”
Shahiman tells.
“It’s only a small population of people
within MIMOS, but with such positive
encouraging results, we believe it’s
applicable to the world,” he beacons.
Next 5 years?
Shahiman has high hopes for GlucoSenz;
“Ideally we hope within fi ve years, every-
one will have access to GlucoSenz, in
whatever shape and form developed for
the public. And who knows, it could also
be in future smartphones or attached to
our clothes.”— Th e Health
One of the pull for these medical technologies is
that in the past, people were more concerned on
trying to cure diseases. Now, people are taking
proactive measures to prevent the disease instead.”
New fNIR tech
sheds light on
brain activity
B
IOPAC Systems Inc has released its
newest generation of functional
near infrared optical imaging (fNIR)
systems which is able to provide in-lab
or real-world cognitive function assess-
ments for physiology researchers looking
to understand brain activity without all
the expense of fMRI.
The extra-lightweight sensor fits
comfortably on the forehead where it
monitors relative changes in oxy or deoxy
haemoglobin as a proxy for the brain
activity in the pre-frontal cortex.
Subjects can be examined in labora-
tory settings or they can be active in their
natural environment with the new mobile
fNIR system.
“Experimental design can be more
sophisticated with this mobile technol-
ogy. It gives researchers the opportunity
to collect data from subjects as they live
their lives,” said BIOPAC chief executive
offi cer, Frazer Findlay, in a statement
today (3 January 2019).
“Mobile imaging can add value to
any study, but is especially important
when subjects are children or families, as
they can be in a familiar or comfortable
environment, yielding better results,” he
added.
Th e new NIRS systems off er three
powerful imagers: the fNIR 2000C,
which is a stationary unit that collects
data from up to 18 optodes; the fNIR
2000M, which is a wireless and mobile
imager that collects data from up to 18
optodes and can be used while subjects
are performing tasks in the lab or in the
real world; and the fNIR 2000S, which is a
54-optode capable imager with advanced
features for recording up to three subjects
simultaneously.
A new through-the-hair sensor will
allow researchers to assess other areas of
the brain such as motor and visual corti-
ces. Adding in diff erent parts of the brain
increases understanding of brain activity
without the complications of fMRI.
All systems include fNIRSoft and
COBI software for data collection and
analysis. Data can be synchronised
with and imported into AcqKnowledge
Software for a complete understanding
of physiological response, including
EEG, EDA, ECG, BP and other important
physiology signals.
BIOPAC, which was founded in 1985,
is recognised around the world as a pre-
mier choice for life science hardware and
software. — Th e Health