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Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman believes it will be several years before blood glucose monitoring technology for the Apple Watch comes to market.
In February, Gurman reported that Apple had made significant progress with its non-invasive blood glucose monitoring technology, which allows diabetics and others to measure their blood sugar levels without having to prick their skin. Apple's system appears to use a silicon photonics chip that sends laser light under the skin to measure glucose concentration in the body. In the Bloomberg newsletter "Power On" says Gurman now says Apple still needs to "perfect the algorithms and built-in sensors" to bring the technology to market. The company also needs to "shrink the technology to the size of a module that fits into the small and thin Apple Watch case."
Blood glucose monitoring with Apple Watch will probably take “three to seven years”
Gurman estimates that this process "will take at least another three to seven years." Apple began working on alternative methods of blood glucose monitoring after acquiring RareLight in 2010. The company then commissioned a startup called Avolante Health LLC to develop the technology in a secret facility before handing it over to the Exploratory Design Group (XDG). Apple has been conducting human trials for the past 10 years and aims to warn Apple Watch users if they are prediabetic, encouraging them to make lifestyle changes before diabetes develops. The company is believed to be in discussions about obtaining approval for this technology. (Image: Apple)
