Minimally invasive monitor for personalized nutrition

Minimally-invasive technology for personalized nutritional monitoring

['FUNDING_R01'] · TEXAS ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION · NIH-11182728

A small, minimally invasive sensor system will track nutrients and metabolites in the fluid under your skin to provide personalized diet information for people with conditions like diabetes, obesity, or kidney and liver disease.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_R01']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorTEXAS ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION (nih funded)
Locations1 site (COLLEGE STATION, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11182728 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

You would wear a reader device while a tiny optical sensor is placed just under the skin and researchers collect blood and interstitial fluid samples during planned meals. The team will give fresh meals with different protein and carbohydrate levels and measure resulting metabolites in blood and ISF. Machine learning will be used to link those metabolite patterns and timing differences to the macronutrient content of the meals. The goal is a device that can give on-demand or continuous estimates of what you have eaten from minimally invasive measurements.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates include adults with diabetes, obesity, kidney or liver disease, older adults at risk for muscle loss, and healthy volunteers for the initial testing phases.

Not a fit: People who cannot tolerate minimally invasive sensors (for example, some children, those with bleeding or clotting disorders, or those unwilling to undergo skin insertions) may not benefit from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could give continuous, objective nutrient and metabolite readings to help tailor diets and better manage conditions like diabetes, obesity, and kidney or liver disease.

How similar studies have performed: Continuous glucose monitors have proven useful for glucose, but continuous multi-nutrient monitoring from interstitial fluid is largely experimental and represents a novel approach.

Where this research is happening

COLLEGE STATION, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.