New Noninvasive Blood Glucose Monitoring Method Shows Promising Accuracy

A team of scientists at Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai has unveiled an innovative method to measure blood glucose levels without any invasive procedures. The new approach utilizes optical coherence tomography to accurately determine the skin’s layered structure, which in turn supports the development of a noninvasive technique based on multiple μ-spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (mμSORS).

This technology is designed to simultaneously detect signals from subcutaneous tissues at varying depths while mitigating interference from the outer skin layer. By focusing on the area at or below the dermal-epidermal junction—where capillaries and interstitial fluids provide critical information about blood glucose—the researchers were able to extract clear Raman spectral signals correlating with glucose presence.

In validation studies that included 200 diabetic patients and 30 healthy participants, the method demonstrated an average absolute error of 14.6 percent compared to traditional venous blood tests, with over 99 percent of readings falling within an acceptable clinical error range. One significant advantage noted by the research team is that the device does not require individual calibration, making it suitable for people of different ages, skin colors, and body types.

The research, a collaborative effort among institutions including Ruijin Hospital’s National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases and a Shanghai-based biochip company, has been detailed in a study published in Nature Metabolism. This breakthrough represents a promising step forward in the noninvasive management of diabetes, potentially improving patient compliance and overall quality of life.