Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Emerging Tech
  3. News

The 'e-Mosquito' is a wearable that sucks your blood … for your own good

Luke Dormehl
By

emosquito wearable diabetes prototype on forearm 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder
When it comes to future mass-market wearable devices, an artificial blood-sucking device that’s permanently strapped to your wrist doesn’t sound like it has the makings of a “must-buy” product. But its initial sales pitch may be deceiving. In fact, a version of the so-called “e-Mosquito” could turn out to be the ultimate wearable for diabetes sufferers. And that takes its potential market from a few would-be vampire enthusiasts to the estimated 371 million people worldwide affected by the condition.

“The e-Mosquito is an unimposing, autonomous wearable device that can bite through the skin of a diabetic patient, [take a] capillary blood sample, analyze it for glucose, and report the result wirelessly to a smartphone, [the] internet, Health Watch, or the like,” Martin Mintchev, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Canada’s University of Calgary, told Digital Trends.

Recommended Videos

The project started way back in 2007 with a prototype that was roughly the size of a deck of cards. It’s now evolved into a smaller, more watch-like device, boasting a shape memory alloy (SMA)-based actuator. This has allowed the team to shrink the device, while at the same time remaining able to produce a greater penetrative force into the skin — although we’re assured it doesn’t hurt any more than an actual mosquito nip.

Related

The new device packs a battery, LED display, actuator, and other components, while a disposable cartridge carries a needle and test strip. It can be programmed to take a sample at prearranged times, meaning that the wearer doesn’t even have to stop and think about pricking their finger for a blood sample.

There’s still plenty of work to be done, particularly if the e-Mosquito can eventually expand its use-cases to include other tests, such as genetic testing or cancer screening, as Mintchev hopes it will. For now, though, the plan is to continue working on this prototype in a way that will eventually make it saleable.

“At the moment we are working on the glucose-sensing mechanism integration, with the hope to commercialize the device as soon as possible,” Mintchev said.

Between this work, Apple’s (possible) research on diabetes-managing devices, and other tech initiatives like the University Hospital of Montpellier, France’s artificial pancreas project, things could be looking up for diabetes sufferers.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Luke Dormehl
Luke Dormehl
Contributor
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Meet the game-changing pitching robot that can perfectly mimic any human throw
baseball hitter swings and misses

Who’s your favorite baseball pitcher? Shane McClanahan? Sandy Alcantara? Justin Verlander? Whoever you said, two of the top sports-tech companies in the U.S. -- Rapsodo and Trajekt Sports -- have teamed up to build a robot version of them, and the results are reportedly uncannily accurate.

Okay, so we’re not talking about walking-talking-pitching standalone robots, as great a sci-fi-tinged MLB ad as that would be. However, Rapsodo and Trajekt have combined their considerable powers to throw a slew of different technologies at the problem of building a machine that's able to accurately simulate the pitching style of whichever player you want to practice batting against -- and they may just have pulled it off, too.

Read more
The best portable power stations
EcoFlow DELTA 2 on table at campsite for quick charging.

Affordable and efficient portable power is a necessity these days, keeping our electronic devices operational while on the go. But there are literally dozens of options to choose from, making it abundantly difficult to decide which mobile charging solution is best for you. We've sorted through countless portable power options and came up with six of the best portable power stations to keep your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets functioning while living off the grid.
The best overall: Jackery Explorer 1000

Jackery has been a mainstay in the portable power market for several years, and today, the company continues to set the standard. With three AC outlets, two USB-A, and two USB-C plugs, you'll have plenty of options for keeping your gadgets charged.

Read more
CES 2023: HD Hyundai’s Avikus is an A.I. for autonomous boat and marine navigation
Demonstration of NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

This content was produced in partnership with HD Hyundai.
Autonomous vehicle navigation technology is certainly nothing new and has been in the works for the better part of a decade at this point. But one of the most common forms we see and hear about is the type used to control steering in road-based vehicles. That's not the only place where technology can make a huge difference. Autonomous driving systems can offer incredible benefits to boats and marine vehicles, too, which is precisely why HD Hyundai has unveiled its Avikus AI technology -- for marine and watercraft vehicles.

More recently, HD Hyundai participated in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, to demo its NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system for recreational boats. The name mashes together the words "neuron" and "boat" and is quite fitting since the Avikus' A.I. navigation tech is a core component of the solution, it will handle self-recognition, real-time decisions, and controls when on the water. Of course, there are a lot of things happening behind the scenes with HD Hyundai's autonomous navigation solution, which we'll dive into below -- HD Hyundai will also be introducing more about the tech at CES 2023.

Read more