Diabetes is one of the four major types of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) leading to slow damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. The predominant form is type 2 diabetes, typically affecting adults, characterized by insulin resistance or insufficient insulin production. Over the last thirty years, there has been a substantial surge in the occurrence of type 2 diabetes across nations of varying economic statuses. Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition characterized by little to no natural insulin production by the pancreas. About 422 million individuals globally are affected by diabetes, with a majority residing in low and middle-income nations, and an estimated 1.5 million deaths are directly linked to diabetes annually [
1]. By the year 2045, International Diabetes Federation (IDF) forecasts indicate that one out of every eight adults, totaling approximately 783 million individuals, will be afflicted by diabetes, marking a surge of 46% [
2]. The vast majority, exceeding 90%, of individuals grappling with diabetes are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a condition propelled by a combination of socio-economic, demographic, environmental, and genetic determinants. The primary factors contributing to the escalation of type 2 diabetes encompass urbanization, an aging populace, reduced levels of physical activity, and a growing prevalence of overweight and obesity[
2]. According to data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), the global prevalence of diabetes currently stands at approximately 450 million cases, with projections indicating a potential increase to 700 million cases by the year 2045 [
3]. The population is projected to reach 39.7 million by the year 2030 and 60.6 million by 2060 in the United States exclusively [
4]. Furthermore, alongside the substantial count of diagnosed individuals, there exists a notable portion of the populace who remain undiagnosed due to socioeconomic and various factors. Therefore, the emphasis on diabetes prevention has attracted increased attention internationally, especially in developed regions. Consequently, the identification and management of diabetes have evolved into a topic of considerable practical significance and economic advantages. Medical directives advocate for monitoring four times daily, with a rise to ten times per day during periods of illness or inadequate glycemic regulation control [
5]. Regrettably, the matter of routinely monitoring blood glucose levels is often perceived as uncomfortable by the majority of individuals with diabetes. Traditional tools employed for glucose monitoring operate based on the principles of the electrochemical method [
6]. Thus the creation of an effective non-invasive glucose measurement device would be transformative for millions of patients worldwide, enabling them to monitor their glucose levels with confidence and receive prompt treatment when needed [
7]. In a greater sense, the overall blood glucose monitoring system can be classified into two categories: invasive and noninvasive.
Figure 1 shows the general classification for blood glucose monitoring and the detailed methods are discussed in the following sections.
1.1. Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring
Currently, the conventional method for blood glucose detection involves taking a blood sample or urine and analyzing it in vitro for glucose measurement. These methods are widely used in the laboratory. In hospitals, blood is collected from patients in the morning while fasting, and the blood glucose concentration is accurately measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Besides blood, glucose can also be determined using urine tests [
8]. Urine test has both noninvasive and invasive collection methods as mentioned in the general classification above. Invasive urine collection is necessary for patients who are unable to cooperate, suffer from urinary incontinence, or have external urethral ulcerations that elevate the risk of contamination [
9]. While these methods are accurate and valuable for diagnosing diabetes, they are not ideal for continuous monitoring of diabetics because they are time-consuming, require large blood samples, and are invasive. Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is an alternative approach for checking blood glucose levels at specific times, typically using a home electronic glucometer. These devices commonly rely on glucose oxidase biosensors, collect a small blood sample from a finger prick using a disposable test strip, and measure glucose concentration through an electrochemical reaction.
The advantages of commercial glucose meters are their portability, affordability, simplicity, relatively accurate data, and the ability to monitor multiple times a day. However, these devices have some disadvantages, such as the need for frequent blood collection, which can lead to pain, stress, and increased risk of infection. Some common commercial glucose meter brands include Roche, Sano, Omron, Johnson and Johnson, Bayer, Abbott, Echeng, Ecco, and others [
10].
1.2. Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring
Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, as its name implies, involves identifying glucose levels in the bloodstream of individuals without causing harm to bodily tissues. Various techniques have been proposed and examined in recent decades. Significant effort has been invested in creating a non-invasive method for measuring glucose. Such a method would enhance the quality of life for diabetic patients and increase their adherence to regular glucose monitoring. To be considered for use in a glucose monitoring device, the method must meet the following criteria:
Sensitivity: This denotes the minimum concentration that a sensor can detect. A blood glucose sensor should be capable of identifying glucose levels as low as 30 mg/dL [
11].
Stability: This pertains to the performance of a measurement device over an extended period. The device should exhibit high precision, ensuring that measurements remain consistent for the same concentration. Additionally, it should offer a high level of accuracy, meaning that measurements should not fluctuate over time.
Selectivity: The measurement method must be able to distinguish the glucose signal from signals generated by other substances. Since glucose in the human body is present in aqueous solutions that also contain ions or proteins, which could produce interfering signals, the sensor must effectively isolate the glucose signal.
Portability: The measurement device should be compact and convenient to carry.
Due to the difficulty of directly accessing blood for non-invasive glucose measurement, alternative biofluids such as urine [
12], saliva [
13], tears [
14], and sweat [
15] have been explored. However, glucose levels in these fluids often show a weak correlation with blood glucose levels [
16] and experience a significant lag time [
17], making them less viable. For instance, saliva glucose measurements can be influenced by pH changes after consuming acidic foods. A promising alternative is to measure glucose concentration from the interstitial fluid (ISF) in the epidermal layer of the skin because ISF constitutes the extracellular fluid that surrounds tissue cells and is comprised of numerous significant biomarkers(biomolecules present in blood, other bodily fluids, or tissues that indicates a normal or abnormal process, or a condition or disease[
18]), exhibiting comparable medical diagnostic capabilities to that of blood. Minor molecular biomarkers undergo exchange between blood and ISF via the process of diffusion. Consequently, the relationship between ISF and blood may be employed to indirectly acquire health-related information about patients [
10].
Non-invasive methods can be broadly classi
fied as either optical or non-optical methods. There are several non-optical approaches mentioned as shown in
Figure 1 such as impedance spectroscopy [
19], electromagnetic [
20], reverse iontophoresis [
21], metabolic heat con
firmation [
22], and ultrasonic [
23]. this methodology possesses the capability to modify the characteristics of the dermal layer and provoke phenomena such as blister formation, irritation, or erythema[
19]. Furthermore, this technique necessitates meticulous instrumentation and rigorous calibration, which can be labor-intensive and challenging to execute. Optical spectroscopy is less likely to cause skin irritation compared to non-optical techniques and offers a high degree of specificity in detecting glucose, even in complex matrices such as blood [
24]. Consequently, this literature emphasizes and discusses optical methods in detail. Some of them are fluorescence spectroscopy [
25,
26], optical coherence tomography [
27], thermal spectroscopy[
28,
29], diffuse reflectance spectroscopy [
30,
31], polarimetry [
32,
33], absorption spectroscopy [
34,
35], and photoacoustic spectroscopy [
36,
37]. In recent years, Photo Acoustic Spectroscopy (PAS) has demonstrated effectiveness in non-invasive glucose detection due to its greater sensitivity compared to optical absorption spectroscopy [
38,
39,
40]. The photoacoustic effect has shown promise in a range of applications for both gaseous and solid samples [
41].
In the PAS process, infrared laser radiation is typically used to excite the vibrational states of molecules. Since the radiation is modulated, the heat released by the molecules is also modulated, leading to periodic pressure changes in the surrounding environment. These pressure fluctuations are detected as acoustic waves by a microphone or an acoustic transducer. The generated acoustic signal is typically weak and requires amplification before further processing. This can be accomplished by using an acoustic resonator, where exciting corresponding acoustic modes by the laser illumination. This approach significantly enhances the photoacoustic signal and improves the sensor’s overall detection sensitivity. To maximize signal amplification and neglect some of the environmental factors that deteriorate the actual signal, the resonator’s shape must be optimized.
This study provides an overview of the photoacoustic resonators (PARs) that are used in PAS for noninvasive blood glucose detection. Here, we describe the basic principle of PAS with an emphasis on the PAR for acoustic signal amplification, where the amplification mechanism and performance in the context of noninvasive glucose monitoring are thoroughly highlighted that are published in the literature from 2012 to 2023. This work is presented in the following manner:
Section 2 covers the fundamental principles and physics of conventional Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (PAS). It also explains how Photoacoustic Resonance (PAR) amplifies signals, along with the design and modeling techniques involved, as well as the factors that affect quality. In
Section 3, a brief history of the use of photoacoustic cells for noninvasive glucose detection from 2012 to 2023 is provided, along with a review of the key literature published during that period. Lastly,
Section 4 discusses potential future developments in the use of PAR for noninvasive glucose detection.