Apple watches have been the live-saving device since launch. There’s no need to mention how its health-tracking features are capable of being a reason to save someone’s life. Now, the company is planning to make it super-helpful by adding another piece of technology.
According to Bloomberg reports, Apple is working on a revolutionary project for smartwatches that could change the lives of diabetics. The company is developing a device that will be added to smartwatches to help diabetic patients track their glucose levels.
Currently, diabetic patients must prick their skin to get a blood sample, and then the diabetic’s details are obtained by measuring the glucose level via lab reports. However, sufferers will now be able to track their glucose levels instantly via the Apple Watch without having to prick their skin.
What is Apple’s project?
Apple is working on a secret project that will assist diabetic patients in continuously monitoring blood glucose levels. The project’s goal is to eliminate the need for patients to prick their skin every time they want to check their blood.
Apple’s acquisition of the startup RareLight in 2010 marked the start of the project. RareLight was the first to introduce noninvasive blood glucose monitoring. Since then, the company has been working on one of its top-secret projects with thousands of engineers.
How this technology may change a diabetic’s life
According to reports, India is on track to become the world’s diabetes capital, with an estimated 80 million diabetes cases. This figure is expected to rise to 135 million by 2045.
A diabetic patient should check his blood glucose levels every 13-15 days. Every time, a prick of the skin is required to collect blood samples.
If Apple is successful in developing this glucose-monitoring smartwatch technology, it will be much easier for people to track their blood glucose levels without the need for finger pricking. This could be a turning point in the lives of diabetics.
How it will monitor the blood glucose?
Apple is developing a silicon photonics chip technology and optical absorption spectroscopy which is a measurement process. The technology uses lasers to emit particular wavelengths of light into an area below the skin where there is interstitial fluid, similar to how SPO2 and heart rate are tracked in smart bands and watches. The amount of glucose is subsequently revealed by the light’s reflection back to the sensor. The system algorithm finally transforms the data into a person’s blood glucose level.
When will Apple come up with the technology?
As per the reports, it’s still far years away from readying up the technology to work in current IOT (Internet of Things) devices. Apple, for example, is currently developing a device that can be integrated with circuits. Following that, it will be designed to be compatible with smartwatches. Then it will pass on for the testing to work properly.
This could take a few more years before it is ready for consumer use. Apple has yet to make an official announcement, despite the fact that the company has been working on it for several years.
Chandramohan is a tech geek who enjoys writing about the Internet of Things, social media, and emerging technologies. He is an MCA student at GG University in Chhattisgarh with a strong foundation in computer science.
