Experimental blood glucose estimation from photoplethysmography recordings on distal finger phalange

Abstract

Blood glucose concentration shows the quality and health of an individual. High glucose levels in the blood flow indicate atypical behavior of the human system. Currently, there is an acceptable test method to estimate glucose level; it consists in taking out a blood sample by the finger with a pin prick. However, the blood sample test has some disadvantages because it can produce some non-desired issues, such as infections, especially a typical case in people living with diabetes. Therefore, this work is motivated by applying reflective Photoplethysmography (PPG), a non-invasive technique based on a light source and a photodetector near the human body's skin. In this case, we propose two different blood glucose sensors using the infrared diodes LTE-302 and COM-09349 with a photodetector FDS-100. It is worth noting that both designs have multiple development stages, and all of them are self-designed and validated through various test samples with three healthy volunteers, one woman and two men. The results present an error of about 14 % for the first sensor, while for the second sensor is about 7.9 %. Moreover, the sensor measurements are compared against a commercial glucometer, the One Touch Select Plus Flex, and the specifications of the NORM ISO 15197:2013 standard. Finally, the reflective PPG technique could be applied as a non-invasive method to estimate the blood glucose level in the human body.