In a pair of papers published in The Optical Society’s (OSA) open-access journal Biomedical Optics Express, groups of researchers from the Netherlands and Israel describe two new wearable devices that use changing patterns of scattered light to monitor biometrics: one tracks glucose concentration and dehydration levels, and the other monitors pulse.
To test their pulse monitoring technique, researchers built a device that mimics blood pulsing through a person’s veins under their skin. Milk was pumped through the device to mimic the blood flow, and a type of plastic called Delrin was used to mimic skin’s light-scattering properties. Pitured is the blood vessel mimic (“flow cell”).
Credit: Credit: Mahsa Nemati.
Read: Biometric Watches Use Light to Non-Invasively Monitor Patients
This schematic diagram shows how the new system can be used to measure a person’s glucose levels non-invasively.
Credit: Biomedical Optics Express.
This shows the new glucose- and dehydration-monitoring “watch,” strapped to a subject’s wrist and connected to a computer for readout.