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Many people have diabetes and they don’t even know it. By the time they find out, they’re at risk of severe complications like blindness or kidney disease. Researchers at MedStar Research Institute in Washington D.C. has been looking for ways to encourage more patients to get tested sooner. They believe many people put it off because of the process it takes to get tested. The traditional diabetes testing method includes fasting, drinking a sweet glucose solution and taking a blood test. This type of testing typically takes several hours.

The researchers have discovered a new light machine called the vera-light scout. It uses fluorescent light to non-invasively measure the effects of high glucose levels in the forearm’s connective tissue. Dr. Robert Ratner with MedStar Research says, “We’ve been able to identify those biochemical changes that may reflect diabetes without the need of sticking the patient or drawing blood or sending samples off to a certified laboratory.” The machine shines a light onto the skin’s surface and the layers of tissue immediately below. It measures how much light bounces back in very specific wavelengths.   Ratner says they “then compare the Scout measure with the overnight fasting with glucose method, and found that the Scout measure is as accurate, if not better.”

This system is still in the testing phase and not available to the public yet, although many doctors believe this system will be the future for diabetes detection!