The use of polarized laser light through the eye for noninvasive glucose monitoring

In order to optimally manage diabetes mellitus, it is recommended blood glucose levels be monitored several times daily so an appropriate action can be taken to maintain tight control of these levels within a normal physiological range. All commercially available devices to measure blood glucose concentrations require the extraction of a drop of blood, normally obtained via the lancing of a finger. The main drawback to this method is the pain, often leading to low patient compliance. Therefore, a noninvasive glucose sensing method would greatly facilitate the management of diabetes.

In this article, we describe in vitro and in vivo results from a laser-based optical polarimetry system using the anterior chamber of the eye as a potential method to noninvasively monitor glucose levels in the body.

It is shown, in vitro, that glucose can be predicted in the presence of albumin at physiological levels and, through the use of a novel light coupling mechanism, it is demonstrated that a polarimetric signal can be detected, in vivo, through a rabbit eye.

Although the commercial production of a feasible noninvasive glucose monitoring method is still years away, laser-based polarimetry remains a viable alternative due to its potential to extract concentration information using the eye as a unique optical window into the body.