As a toddler, Maria Valero watched her diabetic father prick his finger a number of occasions a day to attract blood and examine his blood sugar with an digital monitor. She was involved in regards to the invasive and painful course of, however was additionally curious in regards to the know-how behind the machine.
“After watching my dad undergo this, I wished to create one thing much less invasive,” Valero stated.
The assistant professor of laptop science in Kennesaw State School of Laptop Science and Software program Engineering (CCSE) and director of KSU IoT as a Service Analysis Group works to enhance the method of blood glucose monitoring for the tens of millions of individuals world wide affected by diabetes.
With funding from the School and intensive trial and error, Valero and his group have created a non-invasive course of that may determine the precise blood sugar worth with 90% accuracy with out taking a blood pattern. The GlucoCheck course of makes use of gentle projected via human tissue, into the ear or finger, and a small digicam to seize pictures from the opposite aspect. Valero’s group then makes use of a mannequin to review the quantity of sunshine absorption in these pictures to find out blood glucose focus.
“Our pilot examine was very profitable,” she stated. “We’re enthusiastic about how this machine will assist folks with diabetes, which impacts roughly one in 10 folks in the USA.”
Valero and his group lately filed a provisional patent software with the US Patent and Trademark Workplace to guard the method they created. Kennesaw State Supervisor Mental Property Growth Workplace Chris Cornelison has helped Valero display analysis initiatives world wide to make sure that the GlucoCheck course of is exclusive and patentable.
“The best way we gather and produce the info is new, and we are going to proceed to work on methods to enhance the glucose estimation mannequin,” Valero stated. The group has examined the method on almost 50 folks thus far, however earlier than submitting a full patent subsequent summer season, they’ll consider how the method works on folks with a spread of pores and skin pigmentations and thicknesses.
Valero college students have already created a cell phone app and are engaged on connecting GlucoCheck to Amazon’s digital assistant, Alexa.
“I’m very lucky to have wonderful college students who’re extraordinarily motivated and who carry a wealth of data to this mission,” Valero stated. “Watching them develop as researchers who need to make a distinction on the planet utilizing know-how may be very rewarding.”
In accordance with CCSE Performing Affiliate Dean Paola Spoletini, Valero’s dedication to his analysis is compounded by his dedication to his college students.
“Dr. Valero is enthusiastic about utilizing know-how to make a distinction on the planet, and she or he is an unbelievable asset to our School,” Spoletini stated. as a mentor and position mannequin for his college students.”
Along with his college students, Valero has labored carefully with Hossain Shahriar, affiliate professor of knowledge know-how, and Katherine Ingram, affiliate professor of train science. Ingram is at present analysis on the danger of gestational diabetes, and Shahriar’s analysis focuses on well being data know-how, information analytics, and cybersecurity. Their paper detailing the pilot examine was lately accepted into the Journal of Medical Web Analysis, and Valero used the info to use for added funding.