No more needles: Hong Kong researchers develop saliva tests for diabetics
Researchers develop glucose sensor that is 1,000 times more sensitive
Researchers at Polytechnic University have developed a painless alternative for diabetics to monitor their glucose levels - saliva tests.
They use a sensor that is 1,000 times more sensitive than the traditional blood test, which involves pricking the finger to collect a sample.
Just one drop of saliva is enough for the sensor chip to detect glucose levels according to changes in electrical current.
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"A higher level of glucose in saliva would lead to a greater change of current," said Dr Yan Feng, from the university's department of applied physics, one of the researchers behind the new technology.
"Saliva is more convenient and [the test] doesn't cause pain."
And it's not expensive - each chip costs around HK$3 to HK$5.
To put the sensitivity of the test in perspective, the proportion of glucose in saliva is similar to between 47kg and 140kg of glucose in a standard 2,500-cubic-metre swimming pool - the test can detect five grams of glucose sugar in the pool.