People who have diabetes or those who take care of diabetes patients know the struggle they go through as the procedure to measure blood glucose is an invasive one right now which means they have to prick the skin every day in order to measure the levels which is painful for both the patient and the caretaker. This is where HME Square is developing a non-invasive way to measure blood glucose levels with its new device.
HME Square’s founder says “The company’s device uses a MEMS sensor and photoacoustics using deep learning to measure blood sugar” and adds that “Photoacoustics is a noninvasive sensing technique that involves shining light on a substance (such as blood) and reading the ultrasonic waves it emits. The technology also can be used for broader applications in various biological substances in the body. For example, it can monitor ketones, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), cholesterol in phase 2, and bilirubin and creatinine in phase 3”.
Yoonho Khang, founder of HME Square, says “For example, the optical method technology used by Apple obtains a lot of data, but because it cannot directly compare signals from different wavelengths, it is challenging to improve measurement accuracy. We are focused on solving this problem, and we are currently making significant progress.” Khang adds “Among the non-invasive glucose monitoring techniques, the optical methods give the best measurements. Optical technologies such as near-infrared, mid-infrared, or Raman spectroscopy have great selectivity for glucose sensing given the complexity of the blood/tissue properties.”
Khang adds that “HME Square is in the R&D stage now, and it will take a couple more years to bring the device to market in South Korea and the U.S., aiming for 2025.” Also, the fact that “The startup plans to apply good manufacturing practices in Korea next year. GMP is a set of standards that ensures pharma products are consistently produced. After getting GMP approval, it will start clinical trials in the country, which will take around a year”, he mentions. He also tells us that “The company will use a direct-to-consumer business model, selling products to people with diabetes and people who use invasive measures like CGM. The outfit is also considering adding subscription models once it commercializes adding that its device will likely cost around $1,000 for two years of use”.
