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Non=invasive Glucose Monitors?
I've been searching the internet looking for info on non-invasive blood testing machines (not interested in the gluco-watch). There seems to be 100's being tested, developed, waiting for approval, etc. Are there any small, reliable ones that are REALLY about to be on the market? Also do they ever do any type of study/trial where they use diabetics to test the machines?? Thanks. Kristin (Type I, 34, Palm Bay FL)
Hi Kristin! I too, as a mom of a diabetic teen, am very anxious to have a non-invasive blood glucose monitor be approved for use (besides the Gluco-watch. I checked some internet sites and none that I could find had any new information. If you are interested in being in a study, contact your endocrinologist to see if you would be a candidate to be in one. Perhaps they could point you in the direction of finding an open study somewhere. Also, Joslin Diabetes Center may be a good place to check. Let us know if you find any promising leads as we all would be interested in knowing the latest on these long awaited monitors!
This is like the search for the holy grail ....
The only one I've heard of that is actually planning to come on the market in 2004 and checked into is SUGARTRAC by LifeTrac Systems - I spent a little time researching this myself and the technology for non-invasive glucose monitoring has been around since the early 70s. I was surprised to find out that using infrared to check blood glucose is not a new technology at all. 30+ companies all researched this and came up with working prototypes that could have been marketed.
SUGARTRAC started Phase Two clinical trials of a compact production grade version of their glucose monitor at Brigham Women's Hospital in Cambridge, MA this month. They already proved that their infrared tester was slightly more accurate than existing invasive testers already on the market (compared to Accu-Chek and OneTouch). They already have manufacturing companies lined up to produce it. What they don't have is a paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association (which would take 30 days after their clinical trial) and FDA approval for use (30 more days).
My brother (he works for a pharmaceutical company here in the U.S. and specializes in FDA approvals and manufacturing controls) was kind of leery about the 30 day FDA approval time. Especially since it was medical equipment. Although it's not as stingent as new drug approvals, he was thinking it may take them a year. That is, if the FDA doesn't biased from outside sources.
As for getting in on the study, I talked to a LifeTrac representative and their pre-selected control group is only at Brigham Women's Hospital (a Harvard Medical training hospital). The device is not FDA approved and is not AMA/ADA approved. They'll talk to you, but are not accepting any test candidates outside of who they are using.
An interesting note that the LifeTrac rep told me: there's really no reason why non-invasive glucose testing wasn't available long before this. It's not the technology that has held it back - it's because the companies marketing current glucometers actually make their money from test strips and lancets. No conspiracy here .... just plain business. Although I haven't had time to look into it - of the companies that previously proved non-invasive testing was commercially feasible years ago, it's almost obvious those patents were bought up by glucometer companies like La Roche LTD. (Accu-Chek) and shelved.
SugarTrac's website (though not updated) is at http://www.sugartrac.net/
But it's better to give them a call during business hours: (207) 284-9046 and talk to them in person (they're located in Maine). Nice people .... their main goal when they started was to make a painless glucometer for children who have diabetes.
The only one I've heard of that is actually planning to come on the market in 2004 and checked into is SUGARTRAC by LifeTrac Systems - I spent a little time researching this myself and the technology for non-invasive glucose monitoring has been around since the early 70s. I was surprised to find out that using infrared to check blood glucose is not a new technology at all. 30+ companies all researched this and came up with working prototypes that could have been marketed.
SUGARTRAC started Phase Two clinical trials of a compact production grade version of their glucose monitor at Brigham Women's Hospital in Cambridge, MA this month. They already proved that their infrared tester was slightly more accurate than existing invasive testers already on the market (compared to Accu-Chek and OneTouch). They already have manufacturing companies lined up to produce it. What they don't have is a paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association (which would take 30 days after their clinical trial) and FDA approval for use (30 more days).
My brother (he works for a pharmaceutical company here in the U.S. and specializes in FDA approvals and manufacturing controls) was kind of leery about the 30 day FDA approval time. Especially since it was medical equipment. Although it's not as stingent as new drug approvals, he was thinking it may take them a year. That is, if the FDA doesn't biased from outside sources.
As for getting in on the study, I talked to a LifeTrac representative and their pre-selected control group is only at Brigham Women's Hospital (a Harvard Medical training hospital). The device is not FDA approved and is not AMA/ADA approved. They'll talk to you, but are not accepting any test candidates outside of who they are using.
An interesting note that the LifeTrac rep told me: there's really no reason why non-invasive glucose testing wasn't available long before this. It's not the technology that has held it back - it's because the companies marketing current glucometers actually make their money from test strips and lancets. No conspiracy here .... just plain business. Although I haven't had time to look into it - of the companies that previously proved non-invasive testing was commercially feasible years ago, it's almost obvious those patents were bought up by glucometer companies like La Roche LTD. (Accu-Chek) and shelved.
SugarTrac's website (though not updated) is at http://www.sugartrac.net/
But it's better to give them a call during business hours: (207) 284-9046 and talk to them in person (they're located in Maine). Nice people .... their main goal when they started was to make a painless glucometer for children who have diabetes.
Thanks so much for the detailed info! I had looked at the SugarTrac website but all the prototypes blurred together after a while to where I couln't tell which one was close to approval, convenient, accurate, etc.I had heard a while back about the machines not being marketed b/c of all the money made on supplies for the current machines, but my naive self thought, 'no, that can't be true; surely companies are more interested in helping us than in making money??' But alas.......Anyway thanks again. If you find out anything from your brother or research I'd be grateful to hear. Thank you. Kristin
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