“Map of Sugar”: wearable non-invasive glucose monitoring and community data sharing (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Background: Diabetes mellitus is a global chronic disease with severe health implications, including retinopathy, neuropathy, and organ failure. In China, the rising incidence of diabetes and low public health literacy exacerbate the challenges in disease management. Traditional blood glucose monitoring methods are often invasive, painful, and costly, leading to insufficient monitoring frequency. Wearable non-invasive glucose monitoring devices and smart diet management applications have emerged as potential solutions, but many lack real-time feedback and community-driven data sharing. OBJECTIVE Objective: This study introduces the "Map of Sugar" system, a wearable non-invasive glucose monitoring and community data-sharing platform, to address these gaps. The system aims to provide real-time blood glucose monitoring, dietary management alerts, and a community-driven "sugar map" to visualize the glycemic impact of restaurant dishes. METHODS Methods: The system comprises a wearable bracelet using polarized light technology for non-invasive glucose monitoring, a mobile application for data visualization and alerts, and an online community for data sharing. A pilot study involving 20 participants with mild type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was conducted to evaluate the system’s accuracy, usability, and impact on dietary management. Participants were divided into experimental and control groups, with the former using the “Map of Sugar” system for 10 days. Blood glucose measurements from the wearable device were compared with traditional needle-tip methods, and user feedback was collected via the System Usability Scale (SUS) and interviews. RESULTS Results: The polarized light monitoring system demonstrated high accuracy, with an average error of 0.137 mmol/L compared to traditional methods. The experimental group exhibited significantly fewer instances of abnormal blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia) than the control group. User feedback indicated high satisfaction, with an average SUS score of 4.5 out of 5, highlighting the system’s ease of use and effectiveness in dietary management. Community data sharing was particularly well-received, enabling users to make informed dietary choices. CONCLUSIONS Conclusions: The "Map of Sugar" system offers an innovative, non-invasive solution for real-time glucose monitoring and dietary management. Its integration of wearable technology, mobile applications, and community data sharing effectively reduces blood glucose abnormalities and enhances user engagement. Future work will focus on expanding data sources, optimizing system functionality, and conducting larger-scale clinical trials to validate its long-term efficacy.