Apple team developing sensors to monitor diabetes

NEW YORK: A secret team of biomedical engineers at Apple is working on an initiative to develop sensors that can non-invasively and continuously monitor blood sugar levels to better treat diabetes.

According to a report by CNBC on Wednesday, the team is working at a non-descript office, miles from corporate headquarters. The initiative was envisioned by the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

If such sensors are successfully developed, that would be a breakthrough as it is highly challenging to track glucose levels accurately without piercing the skin. It can help millions of people turn devices like Apple Watch into a must-have.

“The initiative is far enough along that Apple has been conducting feasibility trials at clinical sites across the Bay Area and has hired consultants to help it figure out the regulatory pathways,” the report quoted anonymous people related to Apple as saying.

Jobs had envisioned that wearable devices, like smartwatches, could be used to monitor oxygen levels, heart rate and blood glucose.

Apple is developing optical sensors, which involves shining a light through the skin to measure indications of glucose, the report noted. — IANS