Researchers develop glucometer for tears, saliva

PURDUE – Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new sensor that can be cheaply built and that can detect glucose in any of the body’s serums, including saliva, tears, or even urine.

The sensor is based on petal-shaped sheets of stacked graphene with glucose oxidase enzyme and platinum nanoparticles deposited on its surface. A signal is generated at the electrodes where the platinum particles are upon conversion of glucose to hydrogen peroxide by the action of the glucose oxidase enzyme.

While the technology is promising, a correlation between saliva or tear glucose levels to blood glucose levels in the same individual hasn’t been studied yet.

Jonathan Clausse, one of the study’s lead authors, said, “Because we used the enzyme glucose oxidase in this work, it’s geared for diabetes. But we could just swap out that enzyme with, for example, glutemate oxidase, to measure the neurotransmitter glutamate to test for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, or ethanol oxidase to monitor alcohol levels for a breathalyzer. It’s very versatile, fast and portable.”