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Noninvasive Glucose Sensing in Dielectrically Equivalent Multilayer Skin Phantoms
Kenta Fukada1,2, Masahito Nakamura1,2, Takuro Tajima1,2
1NTT Device Technology Laboratories, NTT Corporation, 3-1 Morinosato, Wakamiya, Atsugi 243-0198, Kanagawa, Japan.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|October 17, 2023
Summary
Microwave-based noninvasive glucose sensing faces challenges with selectivity. This study developed a skin phantom and analysis method to accurately measure glucose levels, applicable beyond healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Noninvasive glucose sensing using microwaves offers a promising alternative to traditional blood sampling for diabetes management.
- Improving the selectivity of microwave-based glucose detection in complex biological tissues remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a dielectrically equivalent multilayer skin phantom for simulating skin's microwave properties.
- To investigate the criteria for accurate noninvasive glucose sensing through dielectric analysis.
- To propose a method for quantifying glucose levels by accounting for interfering substances.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a multilayer skin phantom using a gelatin-based hydrogel with controlled concentrations of glucose, sodium chloride, and water, covered by paraffin-impregnated paper.
- Conducting dielectric analysis across a range of component concentrations to characterize the phantom's dielectric properties (relative permittivity and dielectric loss).
- Developing a flowchart-based analytical approach to differentiate and quantify glucose from major interfering components like electrolytes and proteins.
Main Results:
- The dielectric properties of the skin phantom were found to be primarily dependent on electrolyte and water content, independent of glucose concentration.
- A method was established to isolate the microwave signature of glucose from background noise caused by other components.
- The developed flowchart effectively identifies and quantifies glucose levels by first accounting for electrolytes and proteins.
Conclusions:
- The developed skin phantom and dielectric analysis method provide a robust approach for noninvasive glucose sensing.
- The proposed flowchart enhances the selectivity of microwave-based glucose detection by compensating for major interfering substances.
- This technology has potential applications in healthcare, food manufacturing, agriculture, and livestock management.
