Diabetes Breathalyzers

University of Florida engineers have designed and tested a sensor that can measure the glucose levels of diabetics from breath. Sensor test results reverse the belief that glucose levels in the breath are too small for accurate measurement. The new technology works because it uses a signal amplifying semiconductor that boosts the data to readable levels.

The diabetes breathalyzer may replace finger-pricking tests. “Instead of poking your finger to get the blood, you can just breathe into it and measure the glucose in the breath condensate,” said Fan Ren, Professor of Chemical Engineering.