Noviosense raises more funding in effort to get rid of finger pricks for diabetics
Noviosense is a flexible miniature sensor that is worn in a lower eyelid. This first-of-its kind wireless, battery-free device tracks glucose levels in tears, and continuously sends them to a smartphone.
“Our device will deliver pain-free continuous glucose monitoring to all individuals with diabetes at an affordable price,” said NovioSense CEO Dr Christopher Wilson.
“By utilising NFC technology found in most smartphones, our pain-free non-invasive sensor platform is employed by users to continuously monitor glucose readings, an effective component to any glucose management system.”
The initial prototypes were developed some four years ago. The device resembles a small and flexible spring and measures less than 2 cm in length and 1.5 mm in diameter.
Although a spring in your eye may not sound very comfortable, the whole thing is coated with a soft hydrogel layer that helps to form a smooth interface between your eye and the sensor. Also, the flexible form factor allows Noviosense to bend to conform to the surface of the lower eye lid.
Because of the physiological mechanism that produces tears, the changes in glucose levels in tears correlates that of the blood. As blood glucose increases so does tear glucose and vice versa. This advanced technology detects trace levels of glucose in tears and extrapolates the values back to blood glucose levels.
The company has just announced they had closed their 4th financing round for the next clinical validation phase of the project. The round included existing investors such as Health Innovations, Fraunhofer Ventures and NovioTech, as well as 2 new U.S.-based investors, NovioSense said.
This is definitely a worthwhile cause. Harnessing the power of tears to determine blood glucose levels will free diabetics from the painful finger prick.
The company is currently targeting a 2019 launch. You will be able to use it 2 weeks of wear time per sensor at launch. The goal is to extend this lifetime in subsequent versions of the technology.
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