World-first pain-free diabetes test
Painful tests may soon be a thing of the past with University of Newcastle researchers developing a world-first, pain-free diabetes test, set to change the lives of more than 460 million people living with diabetes globally.
The new test replaces painful finger-prick blood glucose testing with an ultra-thin, chewing gum stick-sized device that, when licked, reacts to detect glucose at the 100 times less concentrated levels found in saliva.
Physicist and research leader, Professor Paul Dastoor, and his team at the Centre for Organic Electronics are working closely with their commercial partner on a purpose-built manufacturing facility in the Hunter after securing a $6.3 million Australian Government Modern Manufacturing Initiative grant.
The world-class facility will help to transition twenty years of research from the lab to retail shelves. Construction will begin this year, with the first devices due to roll off the production line by 2023.
“Having a dedicated manufacturing facility for biosensors in the Hunter will enable us to dramatically ramp up production of the saliva biosensor to meet global demand and empower more people to monitor their own health,” Professor Dastoor said.
The sensors represent a fundamental shift in disease management, removing typical barriers to health testing such as pain, cost and availability. They could be developed for application across 130 indications including tumour markers, hormones and allergens – with huge potential for gathering information related to disease management across the world.
It’s exciting because the biosensor is a ‘platform technology’ that can be used to detect various substances that identify diseases including cancer, heart disease and allergies. The potential to revolutionise care for patients, caregivers and health carers is huge.”
Professor Paul Dastoor
School of Information and Physical Sciences
College of Engineering, Science and Environment
Has your life been touched by diabetes?
Would you like to find out more about this research and the many possibilities it offers? Click here to register for a free community webinar with Professor Paul Dastoor on 2 February 2023
Imagine the potential
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