Imagine a future where monitoring diabetes and ketone levels is quick and comfortable.
Waterloo Engineering professor Dr. Mahla Poudineh, director of the IDEATION Lab in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is developing a small, painless, wearable patch for people with type 1 diabetes which sends informative readings to their smartphones.
One of the challenges in diabetes management is the constant need for monitoring of glucose and ketone levels. Continuous monitoring devices for glucose have been available for several years, however, people with type 1 diabetes must still take blood samples by painful finger pricks or use urine testing strips to determine their ketone levels, which current device don’t do.
Poudineh's one centimetre square-shaped patch aims to improve this process by providing a wearable solution that enables real-time monitoring without the discomfort associated with current monitoring methods.
While the commercialization of the device is still in the planning stages, partnerships with established companies are being explored to facilitate its introduction into the market. Poudineh’s dedication to innovation and patient-centered care is evident in her pursuit of the patch’s development that promises to transform the lives of individuals with diabetes.
With ongoing interdisciplinary collaborations, funding and validation studies, this visionary technology could soon make its way into the hands of those who need it most — offering a more freeing but safe future for diabetes management.
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