Recent developments in blood glucose sensors

• Main Authors: Hui-Chen Wang, An-Rong Lee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2015-06-01
• Series: Journal of Food and Drug Analysis
• Subjects: blood glucose monitoring; boronic acid; molecular recognition; saccharides
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1021949815000174

Diabetes has recently become a leading cause of death worldwide. To date, although there is no means to cure or prevent diabetes, appropriate medication and blood sugar monitoring can enhance treatment efficiency, alleviate the symptoms, and diminish the complications of the condition. This review article deals with current growth areas in the market for blood glucose sensors and possible future alternatives, which are generally considered to be the point sample test and the continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Most glucose sensors are enzyme-based, whereas others are enzyme-free. The former class is sensitive and some products are extensively employed for daily self-sensing and in hospital environments as reliable diagnostic tools. The latter class, particularly the boronic acid fluorescent sensor, is facile and extremely promising. Practicality demands that all types of sensors offer accuracy, specificity, and real-time detection.