Researchers at the University of Warwick have developed a new technology for detecting glucose levels using a non-invasive wearable sensor. The sensor utilizes ECG and Artificial Intelligence to detect hypoglycemic states. This life-saving technology removes the invasive blood capturing of a needle prick, which is often required twice a day and can lead to painful sensations of the hands.
Dr. Leandro Pecchia’s team have published their findings in the Nature Springer journal Scientific Reports. Two pilot studies found the average specificity and sensitivity to be 82% for hypoglycemia detection which indicates it is comparable to current CGM performances. This comparable performance in conjunction with the non-invasive nature of the tests makes it an exciting clinical diagnostic tool.
Dr. Leandro Pecchia stated, "Fingerpicks are never pleasant and in some circumstances are particularly cumbersome. Taking fingerpick during the night certainly is unpleasant, especially for patients in pediatric age.” He continued, “Our innovation consisted in using artificial intelligence for automatic detecting hypoglycemia via few ECG beats. This is relevant because ECG can be detected in any circumstance, including sleeping."