Galaxy Watch 4 & Apple Watch 7 will reportedly have a glucose sensor
Your next smartwatch could be able to monitor for glucose in your blood by using the optical heart rate sensor on your wrist. This is according to a report by ETNews.
Both Apple and Samsung are working on just such as device says the article. It is possible the technology could be built into the Apple Watch Series 7, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and/or Watch Active 3.
The Cupertino outfit has been rumored to be working on glucose-monitoring technology for years now. It even has a few such patents in its name. Fitbit as well, but this is the first time we’ve heard that Samsung is looking to join in the fun.
Demonstrating that it is possible to take such measurements from the wrist was Japanese-based Quantum Operations Inc. They’ve shown at CES 2021 a watch that can continuously track glucose in a person’s bloodstream through the skin, in addition to heart rate and ECG. The brains are the spectrum sensing technology which is built both into the watch and its band.
They did, however, mention that it is just a prototype. And that it needs further work before it can be built into watches.
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According to ETNews, Samsung and Apple are utilizing similar tech to get their results. They are looking to use Raman spectroscopy to determine glucose levels in the blood. The two companies are working closely with scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to achieve high reliability of the method.
Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high. It is one of the fastest growing health threats of our times and an urgent public health issue. According to US government statistics, some 9.3% of Americans or 29.1 million people are diagnosed with the condition. Worldwide, nearly 400 million people have the disease.
Non-invasive glucose monitoring is considered to be the holy grail of diabetes treatment. Many have spent years trying to crack the problem with no real-world success. It seems Apple and Samsung might finally be close to the finish line.
Essential reading: Smart Glucometres, high-tech options for monitoring your blood sugar
Apple Watch Series 7 will most likely launch in September. It is less clear when Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch Active 3. We might see one of these two as part of the unpacked event in the second half of the year.
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