This watch does something that can help 200 million people worldwide that Apple Watch can't
The holy grail of Apple Watch health features is reportedly still being worked on by the gang in Cupertino. We are talking about a way for users of Apple's timepiece to painlessly get a reading of their glucose or "blood sugar" level. Insulin-dependent diabetics need to know this number before each meal because it determines how much insulin they need to inject to bring down their "blood sugar."
Currently, the protocol is for the diabetic to draw blood using a needle called a lancet, put the blood on an expensive disposable test strip, and stick it into a machine called a glucometer. Apple has reportedly been working on a much less invasive way to monitor a person's blood sugar using sensors that would be part of the Apple Watch. Back in April, a report suggested that this might be a feature on the upcoming Series 8 Apple Watch, but that seems to be a long shot at this point.
Over 200 million insulin-dependent diabetics worldwide need an accurate and painless way to measure glucose levels
With more than 200 million insulin-dependent diabetics around the world, adding this feature could be a huge selling point for the device since diabetics spend a fortune on test strips every year even with insurance covering some of the cost.
If Apple is working on this feature, it needs to pick up the pace. A French company called PKvitality recently published the results of its third clinical trial that it ran for its K’Watch Glucose smartwatch. The results showed a 16% margin of error besting the goal of 17%-18%. This was achieved by making improvements to the algorithm and the K’apsul patch on the timepiece. The first two clinical trials had a 22% and 19% margin of error respectively.
In a press release, company founder Luc Pierart said. "With K'Watch, we seek to offer people with diabetes a technological innovation that will accompany them in their daily lives. Although we started clinical trials at the end of 2021, we are making rapid and very conclusive progress. This tremendous acceleration towards the precision required in our clinical trials makes us confident in the development of our product. We are a few months away from validating our project and offering a CGM that meets the expectations of diabetes patients: painless, without adhesive issues, discreet and ultra-practical."
The margin of error for the blood glucose readings has been improving over the three clinical trials
PKvitality hopes to have the K’Watch Glucose smartwatch available by 2024 priced at $199.99. The replaceable K’apsul Glucose sensor is expected to cost approximately $99.90 a month although those prices are subject to change.
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One of the best things about this watch is that it will notify you with discreet alerts when your sugar is too high and you need to take some insulin to bring it down, or it is too low and you need to drink some Orange Juice or a sugary cola drink. Eating chocolate will also help prevent a hypoglycemic attack that could lead a diabetic to pass out because he or she has too little sugar in their system thanks to the insulin.
The watch can be worn at all times, even in the shower according to the 30 second promotional video that the company produced (which you will find embedded in this article).
As for the Apple Watch, in July 2021 one of the companies that Apple uses as a supplier for its timepiece, Rockley, announced that it had developed technology allowing a device to deliver non-invasive blood glucose readings. But despite rumors and speculation, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that he does not expect to see any new health-related sensors on the Apple Watch Series 8 outside of a thermometer.
The Apple Watch Series 8 will be unveiled on September 7th alongside the new iPhone 14 series. We could see three new models of the timepiece including the regular Apple Watch Series 8, a less-expensive Apple Watch SE (2022) and a new premium Apple Watch Pro model. The latter could sport a larger 2-inch shatter-resistant display, and a larger battery.
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