<\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nPrediabetes is a puzzler, with many people being completely unaware that they have the condition. Increasing access to diagnostic technologies could help more people to become aware of their condition, and undertake lifestyle changes to avoid the development of full-blown type 2 diabetes. This latest technology aims to do just that by harnessing the power of the ubiquitous smartphone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn conventional screening a person applies a drop of blood to a test strip, where the blood reacts chemically with the enzymes on the strip. A glucometer is used to analyze that reaction and deliver a blood glucose reading,\u201d said Anandghan Waghmare, a researcher involved in the study. \u201cWe took the same test strip and added inexpensive circuitry that communicates data generated by that reaction to any smartphone through simulated tapping on the screen. GlucoScreen then processes the data and displays the result right on the phone, alerting the person if they are at risk so they know to follow up with their physician.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The system does not require a battery, and instead involves attaching a solar sensor to the smartphone camera flash. When the phone is used to obtain the blood glucose data from the test strip, the app will engage the smartphone flash, providing power to the test strip so that it can relay the data. Cleverly, the strips communicates with the phone haptically, using a series of touches on the smartphone touchscreen to relay the data. The data analysis itself takes place on the phone.<\/p>\n
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<\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\u201cBecause we use the built-in capacitive touch screen that\u2019s present in every smartphone, our solution can be easily adapted for widespread use. Additionally, our approach does not require low-level access to the capacitive touch data, so you don\u2019t have to access the operating system to make GlucoScreen work,\u201d said Jason Hoffman, another researcher involved in the project. \u201cWe\u2019ve designed it to be \u2018plug and play.\u2019 You don\u2019t need to root the phone \u2014 in fact, you don\u2019t need to do anything with the phone, other than install the app. Whatever model you have, it will work off the shelf.\u201d<\/p>\n
See a video about the technology below.<\/p>\n\n\n