NEW DELHI: Testing blood sugar levels will now take just about a minute, cost less than Rs 2 and require 1,000 times lesser blood than what glucose meters currently use.

In what will be a real boon for a majority of India’s 61 million diabetics, many of whom have to constantly check their blood sugar levels, Indian scientists have answered the need for a low cost superfast diabetes testing device. The test, created by scientists from BITS Pilani, has passed the final evaluation conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The evaluation was supervised by a panel of experts, including the director general of ICMR, where it was confirmed that the test and diagnostic tool actually works.

The prototype of India’s indigenous glucometer will be ready by December, and will then be tested in a month-long multi-centre efficacy study in various labs before being transferred for mass production to the market.

The health ministry has long been promising the development of the elusive Rs 5 diabetic testing chip. Now, it seems it will cost even lesser. The team is also applying for a patent on the technology.

Suman Kapur, chief developer of the diagnostic tool, said the testing and results will take less than 10 seconds. “The whole procedure from finger pricking to loading the blood sample to the results may take up to a minute.”

Kapur, who is a professor of biological sciences at BITS-Pilani, said, “The final evaluation took place on August 6 and we have been given the go-ahead to create the prototype which will be ready latest by December. Most such devices need to undergo multi-centre trials. So once the prototype is delivered, ICMR will commission studies in various labs to confirm the technology. Once through, we will either produce the machine ourselves or transfer the technology to a third party for mass production and introduction into the market.”

Interestingly, the latest test will not require repeated use of testing strips. This low-cost rapid test will be a boon for India which plans to test five crore people for diabetes by the end of this year. India plans to screen all adult males above 30 years of age and pregnant women of all age groups for diabetes and hypertension in 100 districts across 21 states.

Kapur said, “Our device is as handy as a glucometer but with a different chemistry.”

