Apple CEO Tim Cook has been seen walking around the Apple Campus with a prototype blood glucose tracking device. According to the latest report from CNBC, the diabetes sensor, which needs to be paired with the Apple Watch, was donned by Apple’s chief executive over the smartwatch.
This development provides more credibility to the reports that Apple has hired a small team of biomedical scientists to secretly develop technology which can be used to track blood sugar levels in a non-invasive manner. This means the device will detect the sugar levels without piercing the skin — like it’s being done presently — that too continuously, without a pause.
Since last we reported about the said inititiative, the research team seems to have made immense progress as feasibility trials for this sensor has already been flagged off. And, since this sensing device is being paired with the Apple Watch, you’ll have access to your reading and other necessary data right on your wrist.
These detail about the glucose device were vaguely confirmed by Tim Cook himself, while addressing students at the University of Glasgow in February. The chief executive conveyed to them that he had been wearing a continuous monitoring glucose monitor on his wrist for quite some time. He only took it off his hand for the trip, yeah, why would he want to leak such a precious invention of the Apple team working out of Palo Alto.
He did not dwell too much detail about the glucose sensor but mentioned that the continuous tracking of the blood sugar has helped him identify the foods causing it. This has, in turn, enabled him to make slight modifications to adopt a new modified eating regime to maintain the level of sugar in his blood. He had then said,
It’s mentally anguishing to stick yourself many times a day to check your blood sugar. There is lots of hope out there that if someone has constant knowledge of what they’re eating, they can instantly know what causes the response… and that they can adjust well before they become diabetic.
If this technology becomes feasible then it will not only be beneficial for Apple, as it would further the sales of Apple Watch but it will essentially act like a utility for diabetic patients — for whom the hardware has been developed in the first place. This will be a significant development for the Cupertino giant’s as it will take its first step into the field of biosciences, in addition to computers, mobiles, and software.
This initiative will also help realize the vision of Apple co-founder late Steve Jobs, who envisioned the development of wearables to detect several different sensors to detect your vitals. We already have the heart rate sensor but a non-piercing glucose sensor would have to a definite innovation from Cupertino, who may also try to integrate the same into the Apple Watch itself. It could also sell it exclusively to add to the revenue stream that’ll be bolstered by the demand for the same.
