Figuring out non-invasive glucose monitoring is going to be one of those holy-grail of medicine type achievements. I'm sure someone will figure it out eventually, but a news headline that says it's still "years off" is meaningless. Everyone that's ever looked at this problem is still "years off".
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Apple's Noninvasive Blood Glucose Technology for Future Apple Watch Reaches 'Proof-of Concept' Stage
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Something like this requires approval in every jurisdiction that it'd be sold in - much like why health features get rolled out slowly across the globe. Note that the article doesn't say testing with Type 1 diabetics - whom would benefit from this the most. They'd potentially be making life threatening decisions based on what the watch is saying. Skin tone, tattoos, hair could all impact readings. There are so many factors involved in this that I'm not holding my breath, as a T1 diabetic, for the next decade or so. I'm currently happy with my CGM sending info to my insulin pump every few minutes. A bit cumbersome at times, but does the job well.
Oh, this again.
A newly diabetic coworker didn't buy the original Apple Watch in 2015 because it was rumored that the next version would have blood sugar monitoring. He continued to not buy Apple Watches every year because of similar rumors.
Imagine how much better off he'd be today had he bought one and used its stand/move/exercise goals.
Maybe he had other reasons, maybe he didn't. But it's hard to imagine that in the years since no lives have been lost because of this rumor.
A newly diabetic coworker didn't buy the original Apple Watch in 2015 because it was rumored that the next version would have blood sugar monitoring. He continued to not buy Apple Watches every year because of similar rumors.
Imagine how much better off he'd be today had he bought one and used its stand/move/exercise goals.
Maybe he had other reasons, maybe he didn't. But it's hard to imagine that in the years since no lives have been lost because of this rumor.
The proof of concept I'm waiting for is a watch that lasts a good week or two between charges (if you turn off all the health monitoring stuff)...
As the father of a type 1 diabetic child, take my money.
It sounds like they are focusing this on non-diabetics to give warnings if you start trending higher, and not on diabetics and giving alerts if you start going too low. The latter functionality is life-critical and I'd imagine getting a watch with uncertain and varying proximity to the wrist skin approved for such a medical use is not likely even if they prove out the sensing technology itself. (As much as many would love to have such a device.)
For "Normal" people, it's useful to know what foods cause how much of a spike, how quickly that spike comes down and if it crashes afterwords. This can be used to optimize one's diet and workout schedule.
The reason for a watch is the health and workout apps. Everything else is fluff.
Wow... I'm surprised Steve Jobs initiated this project, though. I thought Apple Watch was something completely started after he passed.
As a body hacker, this would be a game-changer.
Now do HGH and cholesterol!
Now do HGH and cholesterol!
I am type 2 and presently use Abbott Freestyle Libre 3 sensor that is attached to my arm and communicates for 2 weeks with the iphone app. I would love to have a watch that does more than my iWatch 6 does. 5 years? I will be older than dirt by then (80). So on that note, I am going to have to wait , it seems. I guess I will sit back and wait with the rest to see what the next watch has instore, the 6 does most everything except crash detection , than the current model.
Apple has made notable progress on noninvasive blood glucose monitoring technology, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Planned as a future Apple Watch feature, Apple wants to use the function to allow diabetics and others to test their blood glucose levels without needing to prick the skin for blood testing.
To test glucose levels without blood, Apple is developing a silicon photonics chip that uses optical absorption spectroscopy to shine light from a laser under the skin to determine the concentration of glucose in the body. The technology is in a "proof-of-concept" stage that is viable, but needs to be condensed to a size that can fit into a wearable.
At the current time, the prototype device is sized similarly to an iPhone and can be attached to a person's arm. That is smaller than a prior version that was big enough that it required a tabletop.
TSMC developed the main chip to power the prototype, but Apple previously worked with Rockley Photonics to create sensors and chips for glucose monitoring. Rockley Photonics in 2021 unveiled a digital sensor system that it said could monitor body temperature, blood pressure, glucose trends, hydration, alcohol, lactate, and more. Rockley Photonics made it clear that Apple was its biggest customer in regulatory filings, but Apple ultimately ended the relationship.
Apple has hundreds of engineers in its Exploratory Design Group (XDG) working on the project, but the technology is still years off. According to Bloomberg, the XDG is akin to Google's X research and development project, and it is Apple's most secretive undertaking. Apple has spent hundreds of millions of dollars developing noninvasive glucose monitoring.
Apple initially started work on alternative glucose monitoring after purchasing RareLight in 2010 under the instruction of Steve Jobs. For many years, Apple used a startup called Avolante Health LLC to work quietly on the project in a secret facility before it was transitioned to the XDG.
The under-skin glucose detection technology has been undergoing human trials for the past 10 years, with Apple using a test group of people who have prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, as well as those who have not been diagnosed as diabetic.
Apple wants to be able to warn people if they're prediabetic, enabling lifestyle changes before full-blown diabetes is developed. Apple's regulatory team is holding early discussions about getting government approval for the technology.
Article Link: Apple's Noninvasive Blood Glucose Technology for Future Apple Watch Reaches 'Proof-of Concept' Stage
Will be getting for a very close family member and I myself. I have tried my very best to stay away from junk food. But co-workers bring so much junk food to work its hard to resist.
Probably 2029-30 at the earliest.
It’s like when they say self driving cars and sex robots are just a few years away and for those it’s more like 2050 at the earliest.
Edit: Sorry to burst anyone’s expectations ☺️
It’s like when they say self driving cars and sex robots are just a few years away and for those it’s more like 2050 at the earliest.
Edit: Sorry to burst anyone’s expectations ☺️
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I'm looking forward to any sort of device that can establish thyroid hormone levels. (Whether directly or inferred from concentrations of other compounds, or physical measurements.)
I do understand how significant diabetes management is. But the number of people with thyroid issues has risen substantially over the years. And it is what I personally care about.
I do understand how significant diabetes management is. But the number of people with thyroid issues has risen substantially over the years. And it is what I personally care about.
“Apple wants to be able to warn people if they're prediabetic” - that is not a feature that diabetics would care about, general population, sure but this will only give you a trend indication, not actual glucose level.
What diabetics want is CGM or continuous glucose monitoring which has been in use for the last 10 years or so (eg Dexcom). IF/WHEN AW offers that capability it will have to be a medical device and it’s going to cost at least 2k if not more, still worth it for all diabetics…
What diabetics want is CGM or continuous glucose monitoring which has been in use for the last 10 years or so (eg Dexcom). IF/WHEN AW offers that capability it will have to be a medical device and it’s going to cost at least 2k if not more, still worth it for all diabetics…
Probably multitrillion, along with if anyone could even invent an intent detector.
Hoping Apple can somehow include a blood pressure sensor into the iWatch.
That's an instant buy for many people.
That's an instant buy for many people.
It’s also worth considering the initial cost for this kind of tech.
Even if Apple can make it work and shrink it down to fit in AWs within 5-10 years, they also have to consider profit margins and end consumer pricing.
Apple makes devices for the mainstream, so it probably won’t ship if Apple can’t sell it for <$1000 while still making a profit.
Would be insane if this could somehow auto track calorie intake too(current glucose monitors can’t do this?).
But “just” measuring blood glucose non-invasively would already be a small revolution for activity tracker tech.
Having done a year's worth of glucose monitoring, I can say that it was pretty interesting seeing the relationship between food and glucose levels.
I think for athletes this'll be another must-have technology.
People thought the oximiter was sort of useless...then COVID hit and suddenly it because surprisingly useful.
For the people saying "medical device blah blah" you don't seem to want to understand that things that are not perfect can still be useful.
I think for athletes this'll be another must-have technology.
People thought the oximiter was sort of useless...then COVID hit and suddenly it because surprisingly useful.
For the people saying "medical device blah blah" you don't seem to want to understand that things that are not perfect can still be useful.
T1 diabetic of 32 years here, and you are exactly right. I'm not interested in broad trends in my glucose; I'm interested in knowing exactly what my glucose is at a given moment.
The Bloomberg report is a bit misleading because most T1s have all but abandoned direct blood sugar testing with strips except for calibration of more modern CGM devices, like Dexcom or Libre. I haven't used a blood glucose test strip in years.
While I'm thrilled to see investment in meaningful technology for T1s, I will remain uninterested in a glucose-sensing Apple Watch until it provides readings that are at least as accurate and as frequent as my Dexcom CGM does. Even if that occurs, I would continue to remain uninterested until that Apple Watch technology is integrated with my OmniPod 5 insulin pump (or whatever version of the OmniPod I'm using at that point), which automatically delivers insulin according to my blood sugar readings. And even if that occurs, I would probably be required to wear the darn Apple Watch at night so the blood glucose readings could make their way to my OmniPod 5, which is not a thrilling proposition to me.
I feel a bit like Apple is attempting to solve a problem for which there are already very good solutions, and it's at least a decade behind the competition. I'd be thrilled to be proven wrong, but I'm not encouraged by this news.