Apple To Launch A Watch That Will Monitor BG Levels

Apple are set to launch a watch with an app that can monitor BG levels. Looks amazing. Check it out here:


https://gigaom.com/2015/02/09/an-apple-watch-app-is-coming-for-people-with-diabetes/

If it is accurate and reliable, a massive step forward for diabetics. Jeez I will even dump my ten year old Motorola oyster.

Well reading the first paragraph it sounds exciting:

" Medical device maker Dexcom has been showing off iPhone and Apple Watch integration for its implantable diabetes glucose monitors for the past few weeks. The app will display glucose readings on iOS devices and should be ready when Apple Watch is launched in April,"

But knowing Apple it could well be expensive ?

Perhaps it is unfair for me, a non diabetic, to comment

Guess we will have to wait and see how things go........ interesting times.

All the best Jan

I agree but whether or not you are an Apple fan, they produce quality products and technology. I very much doubt they would put their name to a sub standard product. For me, price will be key. Looks promising though !

I think the watch is a reader for the dexcom sensor and one less thing to carry. my guess is they will bluetooth the dexcom CGM transmitter to the watch

mo1905 wrote:I agree but whether or not you are an Apple fan, they produce quality products and technology. I very much doubt they would put their name to a sub standard product. For me, price will be key. Looks promising though !

Looks very interesting. I noticed on the Dexcom continuous monitoring site that this device is not meant to replace blood glucose testing we do now but fill in the gaps between tests. You inject some kind of sensor under the skin that sends the information to the watch/phone. Not sure why one would then still have to do the manual readings. The injected sensor lies just beneath the skin and lasts 7 days.

As for price. Here is a quote from the apple website. I assume they are talking US dollars.

"The opportunity for Apple and device makers like Dexcom in mobile health is huge. Credit Suisse estimates there are 400 million people worldwide with Type II diabetes, with associated costs totaling up to $376 billion per year. If hospitals and patients are already spending thousands of dollars a year managing the condition, and a $350 Apple Watch and $650 iPhone can make their lives markedly better, then it becomes an easy purchase. If doctors start choosing devices based on whether they work with iOS, that could prompt other manufacturers to support iOS and HealthKit, which would lead to more health-conscious consumers choosing Apple."

This is good news in terms of Apple's proven innovation skills. Also more products in the market will hopefully drive the price down. But it will still come down to pricing of the sensors. The Libre's sensors cost £45 for 2 weeks which is too much for me to afford at the moment. I would be surprised if this came in cheaper.

Best

Dillinger

Inge Danaher wrote:

mo1905 wrote:I agree but whether or not you are an Apple fan, they produce quality products and technology. I very much doubt they would put their name to a sub standard product. For me, price will be key. Looks promising though !

Looks very interesting. I noticed on the Dexcom continuous monitoring site that this device is not meant to replace blood glucose testing we do now but fill in the gaps between tests. You inject some kind of sensor under the skin that sends the information to the watch/phone. Not sure why one would then still have to do the manual readings. The injected sensor lies just beneath the skin and lasts 7 days.

As for price. Here is a quote from the apple website. I assume they are talking US dollars.

"The opportunity for Apple and device makers like Dexcom in mobile health is huge. Credit Suisse estimates there are 400 million people worldwide with Type II diabetes, with associated costs totaling up to $376 billion per year. If hospitals and patients are already spending thousands of dollars a year managing the condition, and a $350 Apple Watch and $650 iPhone can make their lives markedly better, then it becomes an easy purchase. If doctors start choosing devices based on whether they work with iOS, that could prompt other manufacturers to support iOS and HealthKit, which would lead to more health-conscious consumers choosing Apple."

This is the crucial bit for apple. when i worke as a IT tech for a uni years ago their core strategy was to lock you into incompatable kit! non- Apple kit was an order of magnitude cheaper than identical I-watering Apple kit, resulting in replacement with PC compat kit where possible!