Apollon, a Seoul-based startup, is developing wearable medical devices using Raman spectroscopy. The company has partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to create a novel continuous glucose monitor (CGM).
Two-Year Collaboration Project
The two-year collaboration includes clinical trials for the continuous glucose monitor. Apollon aims to commercialize this wearable glucose monitoring technology within five years and secure approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
MIT professor Peter So and spectroscopy researcher Jeon Woong Kang will lead the project, with Apollon¡¯s Youngkyu Kim joining as a visiting scientist.
Optical Glucose Monitoring Challenges
Optical devices for continuous, non-invasive glucose monitoring have been envisioned as an alternative to traditional finger-prick methods, offering several advantages. However, no such product has yet received FDA approval.
Apollon references a 2020 study published in Science Advances, titled ¡°Direct observation of glucose fingerprint using in vivo Raman spectroscopy,¡± as key evidence supporting non-invasive glucose monitoring with optical devices. The study, led by Jeon Woong Kang, reported the first direct observation of glucose Raman peaks from live animal skin, though the experiments were conducted on pigs, not humans.
Portable Raman Spectroscopy System
Kang¡¯s team developed a portable Raman spectroscopy instrument using an 830 nm diode laser, a Princeton Instruments imaging spectrometer, and a CCD camera. The research, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, reported a preclinical error rate of 6.6%, surpassing the performance of existing continuous glucose monitors.
This collaboration with MIT aims to adapt the 2020 study¡¯s findings for human use, miniaturizing the Raman spectroscopy device for wearable applications.
Other Raman-Based Projects
Another project by Trumpf and RSP Systems is developing a similar Raman-based glucose monitor, using a VCSEL light source manufactured by Trumpf.
