New techniques to detect diabetes

In India, there are about 40 million people suffering with diabetes. By 2025, this number is expected to increase to 70 million. It is often a misdiagnosed disease. In order to help more people diagnose diabetes easily, researchers at IISC have designed two new methods of diabetes diagnosis at an early. These new methods can be used to detect the disease in early stages without many complications.

At present, hospitals are using chemical based methods. They are time consuming and complicated. One of the new methods uses a device called ‘field effect transistor’. It works on electrical signals. The other method uses ‘Bragg grating’. It is device used for man things like measuring human pulse. It reflects one particular wavelength and allows other wavelengths to pass though.

Based on these methods, the research team designed a field effect transistor of graphene functionalized with APBA molecules. They get attached to glucose molecules. When the device comes into contact with blood, the glucose molecules in the blood get attached to the APBA molecules. As a result, the reflected wavelength is changed by grating. The change in wavelength can help understand the glucose concentration in blood.

This changes the reflected wavelength by the grating. The change can then be measured, thereby pointing out the exact concentration of glucose in the blood. The device can detect glycolated haemoglobin too.

Image Reference: Thebetterindia