Non-invasive microwave detection of blood glucose level

Four trials were conducted to investigate the potentials of applying microwave technology in bio-sensing, material characterization, and in the measurement of glucose concentration in standard sugar solutions, biological tissue phantoms, and human blood. The objective was to design and fabricate a Microstrip Resonator capable of measuring blood glucose levels non-invasively through human finger for quick detection of diabetes condition and its healthcare management. In all, four different Microstrip Resonators (i.e., 1, 2, 3, and 4) were designed using CST Studio, fabricated, and tested on standard glucose solutions of varying concentrations covering the range existing in normal to diabetes conditions, blood tissue phantoms mimicking human blood, and human subjects' fingers for blood glucose measurement, non-invasively. The S-parameters extracted from the results of reflection and transmission coefficients of the test materials after exposure to and interaction with the microwave were converted to permittivity values. For the standard glucose solutions, the permittivity values were plotted against glucose concentration to obtain a glucose standard curve, the equation of which was used to estimate glucose levels in the blood of the human subjects' fingers. Established an invasive method of glucose measurement using Glucometer was employed simultaneously as control. Percent deviations of the glucose concentration values obtained from the Microstrip Resonator technique from the corresponding glucose concentration reading on the Glucometer were calculated to ascertain the accuracy of the determination of the former method. Also, the mean values of blood glucose of human subjects' fingers from both ways were compared for the significant difference using the Student-T test at α 0.05. An added advantage of the non-invasive technique of Microstrip Resonator is the simplicity, non-associated with pain, and the ease of use on-the-go.