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Biotech / Medical : NTEG- Bloodless Glucose Monitor -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: DryHeat who wrote (109)	2/27/1998 10:40:00 AM
From: BitWizrd	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 176

Hello all. This is my debut posting to SI! I think that NTEG's technology is about to be supplanted by a development stage company called Sensors for Medicine and Science, Inc <http://www.s4ms.com>. They've developed an optical chemosensor platform whose specificity is determined by a flourescent membrane. It appears to be a spectoscopic bench in miniature. A key obstacle for NTEG's device is that NIR spectroscopy is not specific for glucose. Glucose represents less than 0.1% of NIR absorbed by the body, with the remainder absorbed by tissue and fluids. Changes in any of these components alter NIR absorption and, without recalibration, invalidates reported blood glucose measurements. SMSI's technology doesn't have to contend with these problems. Other benefits of the platform: The interaction between the indicator molecule and the target analyte does not consume glucose or oxygen, in contrast to all of the glucose-oxidase based sensors. Among other benefits, this minimizes the potential for fouling of the sensor membrane, because the SMSI sensor need only be in equilibrium with ambient biofluids, whereas glucose oxidase-based sensors require continuous mass transport of glucose and oxygen through their membranes. The fundamental physical properties of the sensor chemistry and the time resolved approach SMSI employs to process the sensor signal result in a device that will not require recalibration. The scale of the glucose implant will allow it to be inserted under the skin via standard needle injection The sensor could provide glucose readings as frequently as desired, without disposables or user intervention, and therefore at no incremental cost. The sensor could automatically alert the user to both high and low glucose levels. The extremely low power requirements enable the device to be inductively powered and remotely interrogatable through telemetry. *The sensor has no on-board power supply or chemical components that require replenishment. As a result, the device is expected to have an operational life of up to one year. Pretty fascinating stuff. I think Integ, Medisense, BICO, Spectrex and Cygnus are all going to get their socks knocked off when this gets to market.

To: DryHeat who wrote (109)	2/27/1998 2:47:00 PM
From: Steve Hudson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 176

I agree. The results are very promising, but need to be improved (not to meet FDA standards) to compete with existing monitors on both accuracy and comfort. And it's good that NTEG refuses to hype their stuff, and realizes that the realities of the marketplace are the target. OTOH, to what extent they have the time is an unknown. I can live with the present uncertainties, but investors should expect those uncertainties to cause volatile moves in the stock price. Steve