Apple Watch for Diabetes: The Latest on Apple's Plans for Non-Invasive Blood Sugar Monitoring
Source: MacRumors
Background
For many years, rumors have suggested that the Apple Watch could eventually include non‑invasive blood‑sugar monitoring, allowing millions of people with diabetes to track glucose levels without pricking their skin or wearing a dedicated continuous glucose monitor.
Project Oversight Change
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple recently shifted oversight of the project from platform‑architecture chief Tim Millet to Zongjian Chen, a senior engineer overseeing advanced technologies within the company. Gurman framed the change as positive news for the effort, which has reportedly been in development for more than 15 years.
“Some view the transition as a sign the work may finally be progressing to a point where Chen, known as someone who delivers, can ramp up development of the technology into an eventual consumer‑grade offering,” Gurman said.
Technology Details
The proposed system would rely on a laser that emits light beneath the skin to determine blood‑glucose levels.
“The system uses lasers to emit specific wavelengths of light into an area below the skin where there is interstitial fluid—substances that leak out of capillaries—that can be absorbed by glucose,” Gurman explained. “The light is then reflected back to the sensor in a way that indicates the concentration of glucose.”
An algorithm would interpret the reflected light to calculate a user’s glucose concentration. The feature could also alert users to potential signs of prediabetes.
Originally published on MacRumors.com