New device for diabetics can check 3-month average blood sugar in 6min

S'pore-developed device gives patients info that is essential in managing diabetes

- Zhaki Abdullah

A locally developed device for diabetic patients can measure their three-month average blood sugar levels within six minutes, instead of the few days it could take now.

Unlike daily blood glucose monitoring, which only gives a snapshot of the person's blood sugar level at the time of testing, this provides a long-term view of average blood glucose levels.

Such information is essential in managing diabetes, as it can help predict the risk of a patient developing complications in organs such as the eyes, kidneys and heart.

NHG Polyclinics, the primary care arm of health cluster NHG Health, and local medical equipment firm SG Diagnostics have developed the Rapid HbA1c Point-Of-Care-Test for Improved Care.

The blood test measures the amount of glucose (sugar) attached to haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), a protein found in red blood cells.

Users prick their fingers using a lancet and take a drop of blood using a sampler, a small implement similar to a floss pick.

The blood is then placed on a test strip and fed into an analyser. Two buffer solutions are added to maintain the blood's acidity levels.