Pigment-Resistant, Portable Corneal Fluorescence Device for Non-Invasive AGEs Monitoring in Diabetes.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Ophthalmology
• Metabolic Disease Research

Background:

• Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are key biomarkers for diabetes and metabolic disorders.
• Current AGEs detection methods are invasive and not suitable for frequent monitoring.
• Non-invasive methods are needed for accessible and regular metabolic health assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a non-invasive, portable device for detecting AGEs.
• To optimize strategies for mitigating skin pigmentation interference in measurements.
• To evaluate the device's feasibility for metabolic assessment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 365 nm UV LED, optical filters, and a dark chamber for fluorescence measurement.
• Developed an eyelid-signal-based algorithm to suppress ambient light and pigmentation interference.
• Conducted simulation and clinical studies with 200 participants, comparing device readings with serum AGEs measurements.

Main Results:

• The device demonstrated good agreement with serum AGEs, with a mean error below 8%.
• A hybrid model combining corneal fluorescence and BMI improved predictive accuracy.
• Simulations showed varying interference from different pigment colors, with purple and blue causing more issues.

Conclusions:

• The developed device enables stable and accurate non-invasive AGEs assessment.
• The device shows potential for metabolic monitoring and early detection of related disorders.
• Integrating lifestyle factors like diet could further enhance the device's predictive power and clinical use.