Endocrine Abstracts

Capillary blood glucose testing by patients with diabetes can be useful in the management of diabetes. Whilst the meters now available are small, fast and reliable finger-pricking remains painful and cumbersome. Most patients would prefer not to do this.

There has thus been great interest in the development of alternative methods of measuring glucose employing invasive, minimally-invasive and non-invasive sensing technology. Currently three devices are available in the United Kingdom employing an implantable electrode (CGMS), microdialysis (Menarini) and electro-osmotic current (GlucoWatch). The CGMS device appears to be the most practicable. These devices, especially the GlucoWatch, have been subject to considerable media interest and unrealistic expectation. However whilst they may provide useful information for the management of diabetes and hypoglycaemia they are still relatively primitive. Further development and refinement is required. The impact and efficacy of the devices has yet to be established although they may provide a useful adjunct to the management of glucose related disorders. Numerous other devices are now being developed and much interest surrounds alternative Spectroscopic techniques. It remains to be seen which of the new devices will be the most applicable.

This presentation will discuss the current devices available and provide an overview of those currently under development.