Research Project
6072103
DESCRIPTION (adapted from applicant's abstract): Diabetes is an increasingly common lifelong disease. Diabetes is associated with many complications, and it is responsible for an estimated 10-15% of all health care expenditures. Effective treatment has been shown to prevent or delay many of the associated complications. The most common current treatments include diet, exercise, and self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). An improvement to current SMBG methods would enable and encourage patients to monitor their glucose levels more closely, improving the general health and quality of life of the diabetic population. Sensor Technologies Inc. has developed a minimally invasive glucose sensor. The technology is based on a small optical sensor implant that is fluorescent in the visible region of the spectrum and detectable through the skin. The sensor is highly specific for glucose, and is based upon fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Functionality, durability and biocompatibility have been demonstrated in a small animal model, and a hand-held measurement device has been completed. The next steps require that the kinetics of the sensor response to changes in glucose under physiological conditions be investigated. The goal of the proposed studies is to optimize sensor kinetics both in vitro and in vivo without compromising sensor biocompatibility, lifetime, and signal-to-noise. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: NOT AVAILABLE
