Diabetics worldwide self-administer multiple fingersticks daily to monitor their blood glucose levels. We’ve written about multiple technologies designed to minimize or fully eliminate the need for uncomfortable, inconvenient, and time consuming fingersticks. Most — but not all — wearable continuous glucose monitors (CGM) require daily calibration with data from a fingerstick.
South Korean fabless semiconductor development company Dongwoon Anatech has filed for FDA approval of D-SaLife, a saliva-based glucose monitoring system. According to the developer, D-SaLife measures glucose with saliva only and does not require a fingerstick or other blood sample for calibration.
D-SaLife has three components. A saliva strip embedded in a tube the user puts in their mouth contains glucose oxidase enzyme that reacts with the sugar in saliva. A handheld reader analyzes the reaction to saliva sugar, displays the results, and transmits the data to a mobile app. The app enables continuous monitoring by incorporating new data from every test to show trends and display alerts.
Because taking a saliva sample with D-SaLife is fast and painless, Dongwoon Anatech believes the technology will be a commercial success used by people with prediabetes, those identified as risk of diabetes, plus diabetic patients. We look forward to seeing the results of future clinical trials of the Dongwoon Anatech technology in the U.S.
