Manufactured by VeraLight Inc. (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Scout DS™ is a simple-to-use device that weighs about 10 pounds and does not require the patient to fast or provide a blood sample but instead uses light directed onto a small area of an individual's forearm to be able to detect abnormal concentrations of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs).

AGEs has been found to correlate well with diabetes and pre-diabetes and are associated with the disease's serious complications.

AGEs are a sensitive metric for the cumulative damage the body endures due to the effects of abnormally high blood sugar and oxidative stress. AGEs harm the proteins that make up the blood vessels, connective tissue, and are thought to be major factors in aging and age-related chronic diseases.

Previous studies have shown that a Scout DS prototype is better than both the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test and the A1C test as a rapid and non-invasive screen for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

This medical device is slated for U.S. market introduction in the second half of 2008 and was previewed for the first time last week at the 67th annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association held at McCormick Place in Chicago.

According to Timothy J. Lyons, M.D., a clinical investigator for VeraLight who heads the endocrinology section at the Oklahoma University Health Science Center:

"Considering its excellent speed, convenience and sensitivity, the Scout DS may be ideally suited to detect the more than 70 million individuals worldwide who have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

VeraLight's diabetes screening technology represents a critical response to the worldwide diabetes epidemic, making screening more accurate and accessible to everyone at risk for this devastating disease."

Find more details from the full report.