A Future without Finger Pricks

Think of how many times a day you poke your finger to test your blood glucose. I’m sure that can sometimes be a bit of a pain. However, thanks to a man named Ronnie Priefer, you may be able to say goodbye to that needle in the coming years!

Right now, it is normal to use a blood glucose meter that you carry around with you. To use the meter you prick your finger and get a small drop of blood. Ronnie Priefer, who works at Western New England University, does not like this system very much. He feels that it’s just too much pricking and poking! He also believes that people with diabetesare less likely to check their blood glucose as often as they are supposed to if it is difficult and uncomfortable.And, as you probably know, not checking your glucose on a regular basis can lead to health problems.

Priefer has made a breathalyzer tool, a machine that reads you breath. This machine can tell you your blood glucose when you breathe into it. It works by reacting with acetone in your breath. Acetone is an acid in your breath that builds up when your glucose is not within the right range. Priefer’stool is special because it does not react with anything else in your breath. That is what made it hard for others who have tried before him to make abreathalyzer glucose meter.Priefer believes that because his tool makes blood glucose reading easy and painless, people will be more likely to use it as often as their healthcare provider says they should.

The tool is currently the size of a book, but the developers are trying to make it smaller and easier to take along in a pocket or handbag. It is expected to be in use in two clinics by the end of 2014 or the beginning of 2015. They also hope that in about two years, people just like you will be able to try it outside of a clinic setting.