My younger brother has lived with Type 1 Diabetes for the last twenty years, and as a result, it has also played a large role in my life. I have always paid attention to innovations within the field of treating Diabetes. My brother has been fortunate to have had the innovation and refinement of both the insulin pump and the continuous glucose monitor throughout his life, but there are constant innovations happening in the field of Diabetes treatment research.
A recent article published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics discusses the types of wearable textile sensors being developed for the sake of non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring, in place of the current CGMs that maintain a small wire that sits under the skin to monitor glucose levels. These textile sensors are actively being researched and refined using e-textiles with biomedical sensors incorporated within the textile to allow for successful monitoring without the need to pierce the skin to insert the sensor (2025).
Having witnessed my brother live with this disease for so long, it is incredibly apparent just how time-consuming proper management of Diabetes is. It requires application of the CGM on a semi-regular basis, carrying extra supplies for insulin injection, as well as backup supplies in case one of the more relied-upon methods of monitoring or insulin injection fails. Sensors that successfully monitor without penetrating below the level of the skin would be monumental in facilitating the management of a chronic illness, and could also allow for more accessibility to monitoring supplies, especially if technology allows for these wearable monitors to be laundered and reused as opposed to being disposed of.
Another article refers to the different types of monitoring that are made possible by these developments. Something to be considered is that, depending on the type of monitoring being implemented, the item may need to be placed on a particular part of the body in order to be most effective.
Continued innovations of these products will include laundering capabilities and alteration of the surface of fabric to increase wearer comfort as much as possible. The fabric utilized for these products would also have to consider continued exposure to skin and perspiration, specifically in terms of wicking properties, as well as breathability, to avoid harm to the skin with prolonged usage.
References
Imran, A., Ramzan, M. B., Hashmi, L., Qureshi, S. M., Raza, M., & Zaman, S. uz. (2026). Non-Invasive Technologies in Wearable Glucose Monitoring: A Structured Overview for the Future. Biosensors, 16(8), 407. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16080407
Sunstrum, F. N., Khan, J. U., Li, N.-W., & Welsh, A. W. (2025). Wearable Textile Sensors for Continuous Glucose Monitoring. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2025.117133
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