A group of researchers from USP and Embrapa are working on a new way to test urine glucose, offering a cheaper version of a glucometer that uses blood to measure glucose and is often used by diabetics. According to them, the current devices are very expensive (you can find them from 60 reais) and have a short lifespan. The alternative they offer consists of biodegradable polymers, with a biosensor and an electric voltage test, each costing between 1.25 and 2 reais.

This new method allows nanofibers to catalyze the release of glucose in the urine to form hydrogen peroxide. When an electrical voltage is applied, it is converted into nanoparticles of blue pigment, which eventually leads to the generation of signals proportional to the levels that the human body reaches with its sample. It is worth noting that the tests were conducted with only one volunteer and are still in the clinical phase – still without a forecast of application in the popular market and expansion.

The entire study has been published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering and additional tests will be conducted in the future to validate the application. At least in the volunteer, the results from the blood test matched those from the urine test, the researchers said.

Expanding Your Functions

In addition to conducting blood glucose tests, San Carlos Institute of Physics (IFSC-USP) professor and research coordinator Paulo Augusto Raimundo Pereira says he wants the analysis to be multifunctional. “The choice of urine for this monitoring is justified because sample collection is much easier and this fluid contains a library of health markers that can be used in multipurpose clinical trials.”

With 422 million people currently diagnosed with diabetes on the planet and one of the top ten causes of death due to serious complications such as heart, liver and kidney failure, a more accessible system becomes essential to save even more lives. both Brazilians and the whole planet.

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Via: FAPESP Agency

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