Apple has secretly tested a blood glucose app that can warn users of the impact of foods on their body — according to a new report.
Apple has reportedly tested a blood sugar monitoring app aimed at helping people with diabetes and prediabetes.
Unveiled by Mark Gurman in his PowerOn newsletter, the app has been developed in secret under a subsidiary called Avolonte Health.
Employees were asked to confirm if they were pre-diabetic, and then “actively monitored their blood sugar via various devices available on the market.” The app would identify correlations between dietary changes and blood sugar levels, and make suggestions on diet.
There are no plans to release the app and the research looks to be part of Apple’s long-term non-invasive glucose tracking goal. And of course, a non-invasive sensor on the Apple Watch is integral to that.
Such a sensor could benefit millions at risk of diabetes by providing real-time health insights without the need for skin pricks.
However, achieving reliable, non-invasive blood glucose tracking has historically been challenging, and no commercial product has successfully met this standard yet.
We’ve been following the progress of an Apple glucose sensor and last year we reported that the company had made a major breakthrough:
Gurman reports, from unnamed sources, that Apple is using a process called optical absorption spectroscopy from a photonic sensor. This uses a laser instead of optical light from LEDs. He claims that Apple still has to miniaturize the sensor tech, and that it was still working to get the prototype to the size of an iPhone. So the idea of it making its way to the Apple Watch seems some way off.
It makes sense that Apple is turning its attention to how the technology will be implemented when it eventually arrives. But we certainly wouldn’t hold your breath about it landing on wrists any time soon.