Desire Project

A project that aims to develop a delay-free glucose sensing technology.

The goal of this research project is to develop a new real-time glucose sensor. This is a crucial step towards the artificial pancreas – a closed-loop system that mimics the function of a healthy pancreas. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is widely used in the management of diabetes and has been shown to improve glucose control and overall health outcomes for people with diabetes. However, current CGM technology has a measurement delay caused by both physiological factors (measurement in the subcutaneous tissue) and technological factors (sensor and filtering algorithms), which can lead to inaccurate readings during times of rapid glucose changes, such as during meals, physical activity, or illness. This can result in inadequate treatment decisions and poor glucose control. The proposed research project aims to address this issue by developing a new optical glucose sensor. The optical technology has the advantage that it does not require direct contact with the glucose, potentially resulting in more accurate measurements than current sensors.

Financial support

  • Diabetes Center Berne Foundation (DCB)
  • Berne University Research Foundation

Collaborations

  • Prof. Dr. Martin Frenz, Institute of Applied Physics, University of Berne

Principal Investigator