A Non-Invasive Glucose Analysis Model with a Carbon Nanotube Sensor.

The development and studies related to carbon nanotubes, due to their physical properties and small sizes, are revealing new applications in the medical field. The present paper is proposing a non-invasive method of patient glycemia measurement by mean of carbon nanotubes based sensor. Due to their small sizes and elastic properties, carbon nanotubes are able to oscillate under the weight of small molecules capable of fixing on their body structure. After piezoelectric activation, the carbon nanotubes sensor based, is able to detect the variation of oscillations produced in nanotubes due to acetone molecules diffused through a selectively permeable membrane from the exhaled air, and attached to the nanotubes. The mathematical model taken into accont shows a linear dependence between the concentration of acetone in blood and glycemia, and makes the carbon nanotube sensor suitable for indirect estimation of the glycemia by noninvasive measurements made on the exhaled air sample, providing zero risk for the patient and absence of stress during the measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]