Portable medical devices have a crucial impact on healthcare services, particularly in rural communities in developing countries. These devices are extensively utilized in telehealth systems to transmit vital patient information to remote doctors. However, the presence of inaccurate data not only misleads remote doctors in making correct diagnoses but also poses health risks to individuals in these underserved communities. The objective of this study is to assess the performance of commonly used glucometers and cholesterol sensors by comparing them to the Japanese clinical pathology laboratory, considered the gold standard in this context.
A comprehensive evaluation was conducted on a total of twelve portable glucometers, including eight models from Asian developing countries and four from the Japanese market. Our findings indicate that the performance of the Japanese sensors was notably satisfactory. In contrast, out of the eight sensors from Asian developing countries, only two demonstrated results within the acceptable range.
When it comes to cholesterol sensors, we gathered and tested eight different types of sensors commonly used in those Asian countries. Regrettably, the majority of these sensors exhibited significant inaccuracies, and we found only two sensors that could be cautiously recommended. It is worth noting that no portable cholesterol sensors were found in Japan for personal use. We tested one such sensor from the USA market, but its performance was also unsatisfactory.
With the global demand for portable sensors steadily increasing, there is a significant opportunity for medical sensor manufacturers to meet this demand by developing high-quality products. By responding to this demand, manufacturers can not only contribute to improved healthcare services but also position themselves for success in this expanding market.