Noninvasive measurement of blood glucose concentrations by analysing fourier transform infra-red absorbance spectra through oral mucosa

Abstract

Whether Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy with an attenuated total reflection prism could be applied for noninvasive glucose measurement through oral mucosa was evaluated. As a result, the same absorbance peak at 1033 cm⁻¹ as in glucose aqueous solution was found in the absorbance spectra through mucous membrane. However, these glucose specific peaks were interfered with by the baseline drifts owing to prism attachment and the background spectra from body constituents other than glucose. Therefore, to eliminate these interferences, the calibration curve between the second derivatives of the absorbance peak at 1033 cm⁻¹ and those at 2920 cm⁻¹ was calculated (r=0·910). By using this calibration curve, the spectral changes due to prism attachment were first eliminated. Secondly, by obtaining the second derivative of the difference between the postprandial absorbance peak and the fasting sample as a characteristic of an individual, high correlations between the corrected second derivatives of absorbance spectra through the mucous membrane of the lip at 1033 cm⁻¹ and the increases in blood glucose concentrations above fasting levels were observed (r=0·910). In conclusion, it was suggested that Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy could be useful for noninvasive monitoring of glucose through oral mucosa.