Impedance Spectroscopy: Non-Invasive Measurements for Human Tissues Characterization [Spotlight on I&M]

Impedance spectroscopy is considered a powerful, painless, and harmless measurement technique in many medical fields. This dissertation focuses on the application of impedance spectroscopy in medicine, by paying particular attention to drug bioavailability assessment and tissue characterization. Diabetes is one of the most widely spread non-communicable chronic diseases worldwide, with the International Diabetes Federation reporting approximately 463 million affected individuals. This number is projected toriseto 700 million by 2045. As the fifth leading cause of death in developed nations, diabetes and its complications are linked to four million deaths annually. Thus full control of blood glucose concentration is a challenge with a relevant clinical, social, and economic impact. To date, instruments able to measure in-vivo and non-invasively the delivered amount of insulin immediately after administration have not been developed. The most popular methods for assessing insulin bioavailability are often invasive or have high latency. Thus, the demand for painless and non-invasive analytical methods to achieve effective glucose monitoring in diabetics is significantly increasing.