Rockley Clinic On The Wrist As A Potential Game Changer
Rockley Photonics has recently revealed its new chip based on infrared spectrophotometers technology. According to the company, the sensor detects a much wider range of biomarkers, including core temperature, alcohol, and glucose.
The sensor relies on technology previously found only in bench-top equipment. Many of the modern wearable consumer electronics that monitor your heart rate use green LEDs. Rockleys IR sensors use non-invasive technology to measure the fluid underneath the skin, allowing for analyzing body constituents and physical phenomena.
When considering that Rockley is one of Apples main sensors suppliers, it is easy to speculate that this new technology will at one point be part of the Apple Watch.
How The Most Exciting New Apple Watch 7 Feature Might Work
- The Apple Watch 7 is rumored to feature a blood glucose sensor, which would allow people with diabetes to monitor blood sugar levels non-invasively.
- Current methods to measure blood sugar involve drawing blood and placing the sample on a device. Some people have to perform the procedure several times a day as part of their treatment.
- A new patent finding might reveal the technology that Apple will use in the Apple Watch to offer users continuous, non-invasive glycemia readings.
The built-in health features of the Apple Watch are easily its most exciting attraction. Its not just the ability to automatically track various activities and monitor health parameters, such as heart rate, movement, and noise levels. The Apple Watch can also detect abnormalities in heart rhythms and tell whether a person has just fallen. The Watch is often credited with having saved a wearers life, and Apple often mentions those events during its own press conferences. The Apple Watch was recently involved in studies that showed it could detect COVID-19 infection several days before the symptoms appear.
Many companies have been studying technologies that would allow the non-invasive measurement of blood sugar. Millions of people have diabetes, and checking blood sugar can be an annoying chore, as the procedure involves using tiny needles to draw blood. The sample needs to be placed on a sensor for an accurate reading.
A New Model: The Rugged Apple Watch Pro
According to Bloomberg, Apple will launch its largest smartwatch yet this fall. This new model, which has been referred to as the Apple Watch Pro or Apple Watch Explorer Edition, will reportedly have a larger nearly 2-inch screen, a bigger battery and a more durable exterior compared to the standard flagship model. This watch would be targeted toward those who participate in extreme sports and other adventurous outdoor activities.
The display increase means the Apple Watch Pro will have 7% more screen space than the current largest Apple Watch, which is the Series 7, according to the report. That could pair nicely with the new watch faces fitness statistics Apple just announced in WatchOS 9. Bloomberg has been reporting on this new rugged Apple Watch since last year but recently published newer details on the screen size and larger battery.
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Can Smartwatches Monitor Blood Sugar
Smartwatches currently cannot measure blood sugar directly from the wrist. However, they can link to continuous blood glucose monitors to display blood sugar data. CGMs are usually worn on the skins surface.
They normally have sensors that penetrate the skin, measuring interstitial glucose levels. This is the glucose content of fluid between cells.
Once they have this data, they can connect to smartphones and smartwatches with an app that displays this data.
Apple Watch Series 8 Rumors: Fever Detection Low
The Apple Watch Series 8s biggest updates will likely focus on health tracking.
Lisa Eadicicco
Senior Editor
Lisa Eadicicco is a senior editor for CNET covering mobile devices. Prior to joining CNET, Lisa served as a senior tech correspondent at Insider covering Apple and the broader consumer tech industry. She was also previously a tech columnist for Time Magazine and got her start as a staff writer for Laptop Mag and Toms Guide.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is expected to arrive this fall alongside the iPhone 14 and AirPods Pro 2. If the rumors turn out to be true, Apples next smartwatch could have a temperature sensor, a fresh size option and a new model tailored for use during extreme sports.
The Series 7, which Apple unveiled alongside the iPhone 13 lineup in September, didnt receive many significant changes apart from its enlarged screen, faster charging and improved durability. The Series 8 may follow a similar route. Bloomberg reports the Series 8s hardware is generally expected to be similar to that of the Series 7, aside from the addition of a temperature sensor.
Well know for sure once Apple announces its next smartwatch. Until then, current Apple Watch owners can expect to get new software features when WatchOS 9 debuts this fall.
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Apples Watch Series 8 Will Be Basically Like Its Predecessor
Apple Watch Series 8 is rumored to rock a fresh design and a few feature upgrades, but the chip at its heart might be the same as its predecessor.
The AppleWatch Series 8 is rumored to introduce some remarkable health and fitness-centric features, but an upgraded processor likely won’t be one of them. Instead, the next smartwatch from the Tim Cook-led company is reportedly eyeing a design makeover, ditching the bulging curved sides in favor of a flat profile, the same treatment that Apple gave to its phones starting with the iPhone 12 quartet.
Aside from the flat sides, the Apple Watch Series 8 will reportedly feature two speaker grilles on the side instead of the single line seen on existing Apple smartwatches. However, the most significant change is that the 2022 lineup will include a new rugged model that is reportedly targeted at extreme sports enthusiasts. But all those aesthetic tweaks and portfolio diversification appear to cover a bad chip surprise.
Related: Apple Planning Apple Watch Series 8, New SE, & Rugged Models For 2022
Ways Smartwatches Can Help People Living With Diabetes
Here are some of the advantages smartwatches can have for those living with diabetes.
Lets people with diabetes manage their condition
One of the best ways of controlling diabetes is through maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Smartwatches can be a great tool that lets patients look after their well-being.
Smartwatches linked to a blood glucose monitoring system are one of the simplest ways of doing so.
These devices can act as a consistent medical checkup. For instance, if a patient with diabetes blood sugar lowers or rises too much, theyll get an alert on their smartwatch, indicating that they need to take action.
No pricking fingers
One of the drawbacks of living with diabetes is finger pricking to measure blood glucose levels. Finger pricking can be painful and may be disturbing for those that dont like seeing blood.
Smartwatches can be linked with non-invasive glucose detection technology. This lets people living with diabetes monitor their blood glucose without needing to prick their fingers.
Smartwatches allow you to check your blood glucose levels many times throughout the day, whether youre at home, traveling, or exercising.
Reads blood sugar levels quicklyand discreetly
Traditional blood glucose detection methods can take time to carry out. Smartwatches linked with CGMs allow people living with diabetes to check their blood sugar quickly and efficiently by just glancing at their wrist.
More socially acceptable than checking smart phone
Easy and Convenient To Use
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Apple Watch Series 8 To Feature Sensational Upgrades Insider Claims
The display on the Apple Watch Series 7 reaches much closer to the edge of the watch. Will Series 8 … look the same?
David Phelan
When Apple Watch Series 8 arrives this fall, it may cement Apples focus on health features for the wearable.
According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg in his latest Power On newsletter, a series of new health aspects are planned for Apple Watch, though not all will land this year. There will also be some cool upgrades and, again, they may arrive in time for Series 8.
Heres what we think so far.
Apple Watch 8 Again Tipped To Have Blood Glucose Monitoring
The Apple Watch 7 wasnt a huge step forward from its predecessor, but there are signs that the Apple Watch 8 might be a more substantial step forward in terms of new features and technology and those new features could include blood glucose monitoring.
According to DigiTimes ), Apples suppliers have been told to prepare the necessary short-wavelength infrared sensors for measuring the levels of glucose sugar in the blood, something which could prove very helpful for those with diabetes and other related conditions.
This is by no means a new rumor, and there was talk that glucose monitoring would be included in the Apple Watch 7 that was unveiled in September. That didnt happen, but it seems more likely to be included next time around.
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Food Tracking With Blood Glucose Monitoring Would Be A Perfect Match
I’ve mentioned it a few times already, but I’m a Type 2 diabetic. However, since I’m also pregnant, I need to worry about the possibility of gestational diabetes as well. I’ve been monitoring my blood sugar levels with the One Drop system, but that requires pricking my finger several times a day, which I hate. Multiple people have told me to consider something like the Dexcom G6 system, but the problem with that is cost â it’s definitely pricey.
This is why I am eagerly hoping that the rumor of the Apple Watch Series 7 having a sensor for monitoring blood glucose levels to be true because it would be a total insta-buy for me. It would be more affordable than a continuous glucose monitor system, but it would still give me a general idea of how my sugar levels are doing throughout the day. And when you combine that with native food tracking in iOS 15, it would be the perfect mix.
Of course, I still plan to test the accuracy if need be with my finger sticks, but I would hope that I wouldn’t have to do it as much as I am now. But just being able to see, in real-time, at a glance, how my blood sugar levels are affected by the foods I eat would genuinely be helpful when I need to report results to the doctor.
Apple Watch Series 7 Could Feature Blood Glucose Monitoring
The upcoming Apple Watch Series 7 could feature the ability to measure blood glucose through an optical sensor. Even though there are plenty of health-focused smartwatches available in the market, none of them feature the functionality to monitor blood glucose levels.
There have been many rumors circulating for a few years regarding an Apple Watch that will feature glucose monitoring, enabling users to monitor their blood sugar levels without any needle. According to a new report, the feature could be witnessed in the next Apple Watch Series 7.
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The Apple Watch Series 8 May Be A Game
The launching of the Apple Watch Series 7 is said to happen in September 2021. However, it may be too soon to integrate a still not fully tested breakthrough technology. Unlike typical methods for measuring glucose levels, the Apple Watch will have a lot of advanced features. For example, the usual techniques only give a snapshot of glucose levels for the particular time the test is done. However, the sensor will be monitoring and alerting users 24/7.
That is one of the advantages. Another benefit is the process is less invasive. There wont be any need for anyone to deal with the inconvenient process of adding blood to the optical sensor. This means therell be little need for special equipment.
More features expected from the watch include a faster S7 Apple silicon, 5G wireless, colors, and new bands. In addition, the S7 SiP might function faster than the previous S6 SiP on Apple Watch Series 6.
Also, there will be a mobile app on the app store available for iOS and Android devices. As the watch monitors your blood sugar levels, the glucose data and analytics it collects are shown on the app. This will make tracking blood sugar much easier and allow you to share the information with your doctor.
Homebrew Project Adds Continuous Glucose Monitoring To The Apple Watch
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An Apple Watch owner has created a complication and watchOS app that works with a glucose monitor, so they can keep track of their blood glucose level from their wrist.
Numerous rumors have claimed Apple is actively working on some form of glucose monitoring sensor for the Apple Watch, but has so far yet to add it to the wearable device. In the case of one Apple Watch owner, they managed to hack together their own solution.
The project, outlined by Harley Turan, effectively takes the data from a continuous glucose monitoring system and imports and interprets it in a way that it can be viewed on an Apple Watch. In doing so, the project creates a reasonably low-cost solution for the problem.
The base of the project is the Abbot FreeStyle Libre, a coin-sized sensor attached to a person’s arm to measure glucose levels in a subcutaneous fat layer. The test is performed whenever a pocket NFC reader or smartphone is presented, giving a good amount of data, but it’s not quite as useful as a continuous glucose monitor.
That data can then be collected by a specially-created watchOS app that connects over Bluetooth. The watchOS app monitors the data via a regular background request, and triggers notifications to the user if there are rapid glucose changes.
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Apple Supplier Reveals Non
Apple has been gradually beefing up the Apple Watch with new sensors that boast enhanced health-related features. An Apple supplier Rockley Photonics has developed new sensors for smartwatches that could potentially make their way to the Apple Watch. These new digital sensors include a non-invasive blood glucose monitor, core body temperature, and more. As mentioned earlier, these sensors could come to future Apple Watch models.
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Which Apple Watch Should I Get To Monitor Diabetes
The first question Gillian brought to me is whether theres any drawbacks to her getting the Apple Watch SE over the Apple Watch Series 6. The Series 6 is the best smartwatch weve tested and an impressive health tool, but its outside of her budget. The Series 3 doesnt offer fall detection, which would help if irregular insulin levels caused Gillian to faint.
Compared to the Apple Watch 6, the Apple Watch SE lacks an electrocardiogram reader, blood oxygen monitoring and an always-on display. In my experience with the Series 6 so far, the always-on display is the real deal-breaker for an average user, but its less of a sell for Gillian. In fact, shed worry about the never-dark OLED screen on her wrist distracting her students.
Jake Green, another 23-year-old with type 1 diabetes, has owned the Apple Watch Series 4 since Dexcoms Apple Watch app debuted two years ago. He has no plans to upgrade to one of the newest smartwatch models despite the availability of new features.
For what I need, Im set with the Apple Watch 4, Green said. Its not like blood oxygen monitoring is important in terms of glucose monitoring. Having the Dexcom app on my wrist is what matters.
Are There Any Downsides To Using Smartwatches To Manage Diabetes
Traditional finger pricking methods to measure blood sugar can take a lot of time. It can also be uncomfortable as the process draws blood. However, this method lets you know what your glucose levels are for that precise moment.
Smartwatches link to CGMs which show glucose levels beneath the skin. It takes longer for glucose levels to show in interstitial fluid compared to within the blood. This means that CGMs may show a delayed blood glucose reading.
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Glucose Blood Sugar Tracker
Apple Rating: 4.7
HealthKit integration estimated A1C level, and easy-to-use interface makes this app an excellent choice for diabetes management.
The Glucose Tracker App makes it possible to track insulin doses, glucose levels, medications prescribed by a doctor, and more while also providing reminders about checking your blood sugar levels at different times during the day. These features are invaluable when you have type 1 or 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
In addition to this, the app also helps you to keep close tabs on blood pressure, carbohydrates, weight, and ketones diet.