In the next 3 to 5 years, we will have a new generation of control upon us providing continuous glucose monitoring. Some of these marvelous technologies will not require a drop of blood, while others will embody the tried-and-true stick-to-itiveness we all know and loathe.

Please join me as we browse the isles of things to come (and things now available) for continuous glucose monitoring.

The DexCom STS Continuous Glucose Monitoring System is a glucose sensor that reports glucose values every 5 minutes for up to 72 hours. The sensor is inserted in the abdomen. After a 2 hour start-up period, the STS System is calibrated with 2 fingerstick measurements taken by a traditional glucose meter. Checkout Amy Tenderich's review on Diabetes Mine of the DexCom Continuous Glucose Monitoring Sytem.

MiniMed Medtronic has 3 different versions: the Gold, the Guardian RT, and the Paradigm Real-Time Continuous Monitor.

Menarini GlucoDay S is a device worn by the patient for the continuous monitoring of glucose in the subcutaneous interstitial fluid. Monitoring is performed via insertion in the abdominal region of a microfibre for dialysis having the diameter of a human hair. Inside the microfibre a solution transports the patient's glucose to a biosensor within the instrument.

M-Biotech Glucose Biosensor is a minimally invasive implantation for painless and convenient monitoring. The key feature of our efficient Glucose Biosensor is the combination of a glucose-sensitive hydrogel and a miniature pressure sensor. Glucose-responsive hydrogels are biocompatible materials that either swell or contract when the glucose concentrations change in the body fluid surrounding the hydrogel.

The PreciSense System includes a microcapsule placement unit and a light detecting non-invasive reader unit. The microcapsule placement unit poses the right dose of glucose-responding microcapsules in the upper layer of the skin, painlessly. The glucose assay components in the microcapsules generate a fluorescence signal that corresponds to the glucose level. The non-invasive reader unit monitors this glucose binding event through FRET, Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer, which is directly related to the concentration of glucose.

Sensors for Medicine and Science glucose sensor is implanted under the skin in a short outpatient procedure. The sensor automatically measures interstitial glucose every few minutes, without any user intervention. The sensor implant will communicate wirelessly with a small external reader.

Synthetic Blood Implanted Glucose Biosensor claims to offer significantly more accurate glucose readings in a range of 30-500 mg/dl. The implanted Glucose Biosensor continuously monitors blood glucose without the need for finger sticks. The most accurate glucose monitor available, the implanted biosensor can be programmed to monitor blood glucose according to a predetermined schedule, thus eliminating problems of patient compliance. The sensor alarms for dangerous, life threatening conditions such as hypoglycemia.

GlucoLight Corporation is developing a low-cost non-invasive blood glucose monitor for home use by diabetic patents. GlucoLight's unique optical approach, microScatterTM (microscatter) technology, is based on patented technologies in the area of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Low Coherence Interferometry (LCI). There is a working prototype with published clinical data on healthy volunteers.

The GlucoWatch G2 Biographer was approved to detect glucose level trends and track patterns in people with diabetes. It must be used along with conventional blood glucose monitoring of blood samples. The device, which looks like a wristwatch, pulls body fluid from the skin using small electric currents. It can provide six measurements per hour for 13 hours. (See David Mendosa's review).

Medtronic, one of the largest manufacturers of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, issued a call to action request for insurance companies. The need for greater coverage on continuous glucose monitors is as important (and as necessary) as the rising demand for insulin pumps.

The president of Medtronic's diabetes division, Chris O'Connell, urged the insurance companies to consider the vast growth of the company - which was measured as considerably faster than the industry average, with sales climbing 24% in the last quarter. The device was approved for adult patients last year and U.S. regulators approved an expanded edition for use in children. The continuous glucose monitor alerts diabetics to dangerous spikes or dips in their blood sugar levels via wire-like sensors inserted under the skin that measure glucose levels and transmit the data wirelessly to a pager-size receiver.

The company plans to conduct clinical studies to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of the technology. Presumably, after two to three years of clinical trials, the evidence will be conclusive enough for insurance companies to consent to providing greater coverage for this continuous glucose monitoring.

Join Dr. Aaron Kowalski for a live chat on the Artificial Pancreas Project, December 12 at 9pm Eastern Standard Time. Thanks to Gina Capone of Diabetes Talkfest, you will have a chance to ask questions and learn more about this tremendous project poised to revolutionize diabetes management.

Dr. Kowalski and his brother Stephen have lived with type 1 diabetes for the greater part of their lives. Visit YouTube® to view a 10 minute presentation Dr. Kowalski gave, where he shares his personal story on the tough issues diabetes has raised in his life. He describes how his brother's hypoglycemic unawareness impacted his daily life for the past 30 years and Kowalski explains how an artificial pancreas would benefit people with type 1 diabetes.

Managing diabetes is a full time job. Emotions need not apply. In a perfect world, your job is to keep your blood sugars in the range of 80 to 120 always. There is no exception to this rule. We all know abiding this law is nearly impossible because we are not machines. A device programmed to enforce this policy and arrest sugars precariously trending out of this range is exactly what we need to oversee our safe existence. The YouTube video is a great appetizer to the live chat. I hope you all can attend Tuesday night on Diabetes Talkfest. See you there!

Solianis Monitoring AG has devised a non-invasive concept to provide a potential solution to the burnout of one too many when it comes to testing blood sugar. Physicians typically recommend checking sugars anywhere between three to ten times a day (and sometimes more). Given the pain and inconvenience of the traditional glucose reading method, there is little wonder why many diabetics monitor their glucose levels less than twice a day.

Checking glucose levels throughout the day can become head-banging. Sorry for the pun, but it defines the ac/dc approach perfectly. As your glucose levels change, so do the electrolyte levels in your blood. There is a direct correlation between the movement of glucose and sodium (electrolytes) that can be used to measure blood glucose non-invasively. For those of you science buffs, this is called impedance spectroscopy. And yes, you've heard about it before. Previous generations of non-invasive glucose monitoring devices failed to meet FDA standards because their results were not considered accurate. With this device, a morning blood sugar reading can calibrate the non-invasive monitor for a full days worth of tracking. This device uses measurements of temperature, moisture, and pressure within the skin to determine the movement of blood glucose.

An NIH (National Institute of Health) study confirmed that impedance spectroscopy is a viable way of tracking glucose variations. A finger stick is still needed to initially calibrate and perform a daily baseline adjustment. Although it is not a total replacement for the blood thirsty machines we've seen for decades, this design provides an option to continuously monitor changes in glucose levels with only 1 finger stick. Checking sugars once a day, producing accurate results, and measuring trends in glucose reading throughout the day non-invasively: that's convenience I can handle.