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Noninvasive blood glucose monitoring in the terahertz frequency range

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Abstract

Human skin optical properties were studied in vivo using terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy. For the attenuated total internal reflection (ATR) the silicon Dowe prism was used. The measurements were carried out on six volunteers with normal blood glucose concentration and in good health. A standard oral glucose tolerance test was also performed. The ATR spectra of palm skin were consecutively measured at 0–90 min after glucose intake. The variations of the ATR spectra of human skin were correlated with the changes in blood glucose level. The amplitude of ATR signal of human palm skin increased and the phase decreased when glucose concentrations in blood rose above the normal level. Our results demonstrate the possibility of a non-invasive real-time measurement of blood glucose concentration.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by RFBR (grant No. 13-02-01364) and The Tomsk State University Academic D.I. Mendeleev Fund Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Laser Physics of SB RAS, pr. Lavrentyeva, 13/3, Novosibirsk, Russia, 630090

    Olga Cherkasova

  2. Institute on Laser and Information Technologies of RAS, 1 Svyatooserskaya St., Shatura, Russia, 142092

    Maxim Nazarov & Alexander Shkurinov

  3. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, GSP-1, Moscow, Russia, 119991

    Alexander Shkurinov

  4. National Research Tomsk State University, Lenina Avenue, 36, Tomsk, Russia, 634050

    Alexander Shkurinov

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  1. Olga Cherkasova
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  2. Maxim Nazarov
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Correspondence to Olga Cherkasova.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Laser technologies and laser applications.

Guest Edited by José Figueiredo, José Rodrigues, Nikolai A. Sobolev, Paulo André and Rui Guerra.

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Cherkasova, O., Nazarov, M. & Shkurinov, A. Noninvasive blood glucose monitoring in the terahertz frequency range. Opt Quant Electron 48, 217 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-016-0490-5

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