Spire hopes to ease diabetics' lives
Phantom samples containing various glucose concentrations, as well as potentially competing species such as sucrose and fructose will be investigated with a terahertz spectroscopy technique.
The synchrotron at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York will provide the terahertz source, with radiation transmitted through the samples analyzed by a Fourier transform infra-red spectrometer.
If the phase I project is successful Spire could qualify for a phase II grant of up to $750,000. This would enable Spire to investigate monitoring glucose levels using its own highly-portable quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). These devices, emitting in the terahertz region, contain hundreds of nanometer-thick GaAs layers.
At present diabetics often avoid monitoring their blood-glucose levels, due to the discomfort associated with finger pricking. This lack of testing can lead to high blood-glucose levels, resulting in serious medical complications and higher mortality rates. If Spire develops a glucose monitor using terahertz radiation from QCLs, then diabetics will be able test themselves in a non-invasive pain-free manner.
With the US self-monitoring blood-glucose market alone worth $5 billion a year, it is understandable that Roger Little, Spires CEO, commented: "Non-invasive glucose monitoring is a huge market opportunity which we do not intend to miss."
