AI and radar technology could transform blood glucose monitoring

Pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) and radar technology has been shown to help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels.
The technology uses high-frequency radio waves to monitor blood sugar levels without the need for finger pricking. In a study by the University of Waterloo, the technology was 85% accurate in detecting glucose changes.
This innovative approach could potentially transform how millions of people monitor their blood sugar levels in the future.
The radar device was developed by Google and German hardware company Infineon. It works by sending frequency waves into liquids that contain different levels of glucose. The radio waves then reflect back to the radar device where the data is converted into digital data. This is then analysed using AI technology.
When tested on people with diabetes the technology was shown to be 85% accurate when compared with the traditional finger prick method.
Engineering professor George Shaker, from the University of Waterloo, said: “The correlation was actually amazing. We have shown it is possible to use radar to look into the blood to detect changes.
“We want to sense blood inside the body without actually having to sample any fluid. Our hope is this can be realised as a smartwatch to monitor glucose continuously.”
The research team is now planning to step up their work by improving the accuracy of the system and looking at ways to shrink the radar device so it uses less power and is more cost-effective. They are also looking at ways to incorporate smartwatch technology to make the software more accessible to everyone.
Prof Shaker added: “I’m hoping we’ll see a wearable device on the market within the next five years. There are challenges, but the research has been going at a really good rate.”
The findings appear online in the International Journal of Mobile Human-Computer Interaction.