In the last seven years, Apple has added several breakthrough technologies such as an advanced heart rate sensor that can monitor ECG (Electrocardiogram), AFib (Atrial fibrillation) track arrhythmia, and more in its Watch series.
The Cupertino-based company in a bid to bring more innovation to its smart wearable, it even collaborates with world-class medical institutes.
Now, after years of efforts, Apple has finally made a big headway in developing a non-invasive blood-glucose level reader for the Watch series, reported Mark Gurman of Bloomberg.
Gurman, known for his accurate prediction of Apple device feature much before the official launch, has revealed that Apple engineers have managed to develop a 'proof-of-concept' model that does need any needle to draw blood and read glucose level.
The company will be using custom developed 'silicon photonic' chipset, which will run 'optical spectroscopy' and a complex algorithm to calculate the glucose in the blood. The module will flash laser light, which can penetrate non-invasively into the veins of the wrist skin and be able to observe the concentration of glucose in the 'interstitial fluid' of the blood.
This a major milestone, as the current method requires pricking fingers to draw blood and put it on a strip, and inserted it into a Glucometer, to get the sugar level in the body.
With non-invasive technology, as the one Apple has developed, will set the benchmark in the smart wearable industry. Though several brands have announced ECG and AFib reader capabilities in their watches, the companies have not received any official approval from local health agencies, making them useless in most regions around the world.
However, Apple though has succeeded in creating proof-of-concept, meaning a working model is ready but needs to be made in small dimensions, to fit in the compact space of the Apple Watch. So, it may take a year if not more to make it to the market.
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