Physicochemical determinations of glucose in vivo

Conventional methods for the determination of blood glucose are not suitable for application in vivo. It is therefore necessary to seek other methods for monitoring blood glucose as a controlled variable of pancreatic hormonal regulation. Physical methods are preferable to conventional chemical methods, because the chosen methods should not consume or chemically modify glucose. There are two main types of physical chemical methods, which can be considered for this purpose: 1) invasive methods, in which measurements are made directly in the blood stream, and 2) non-invasive methods. The first type is represented by electrochemical catalysts and fuel cells, the latter by spectroscopic procedures (mainly NMR- and IR-spectroscopy).