Apple has long been working on adding blood glucose monitoring to its Apple Watch smartwatch. Moreover, it is a non-invasive method that does not require any injections. According to Bloomberg sources, the company has already come close to implementing this feature and is currently in the proof-of-concept phase. The technology is already quite good. It will be ready for market release when it is possible to minimize the relevant components.

The technology, which uses lasers to measure the concentration of glucose under the skin, is not new in itself. But earlier it required the use of rather large equipment, which meant desktop use in stationary conditions. But now it has been improved so much that all the necessary components are contained in a prototype of a small device the size of an iPhone.

According to the sources, the system will not only help people with diabetes monitor their condition, but also ideally warn people with pre-diabetes (a condition of impaired carbohydrate metabolism that leads to a high risk of diabetes). And thanks to some changes, you can even prevent the development of type 2 diabetes (adult diabetes).

Presumably, the project has been in development for a long time. It all started in 2010, when an ailing Steve Jobs forced his company to buy blood glucose monitoring startup RareLight. Apple kept its plans secret, and project management was carried out through a separate company, Avolonte Health, which it later transformed into the Exploratory Design Group (XDG). CEO Tim Cook, head of Apple Watch hardware Eugene Kim and other senior executives participated in the project.

Although the trials are going well, according to Bloomberg, a real device with non-invasive determination of blood glucose levels is likely to appear only in a few years.

Source: Engadget