Diabetics using a glucose monitor made by DexCom will be able to see a continuous graph of their blood sugar levels on the Apple Watch, says the company. It is working on an app for the smartwatch that is expected to be available when the Apple Watch launches in April – alongside a similar app for the iPhone.
The WSJ reports that the early availability of the app has been made possible thanks to the Food and Drug Administration taking a more hands-off approach as of last month. While medical hardware still requires FDA approval before it can be sold, companion apps no longer need prior approval – developers simply have to notify the FDA that the app exists …
DexCom’s glucose monitor tracks a person’s blood-sugar levels continuously. The [app] converts that data into a simple graph that is just a glance at the wrist away.
Conventional glucose monitors require the user to prick their skin with a needle in order to draw a drop of blood to place on a test-strip, a process that is inconvenient and which generates only isolated readings. The DexCom monitor uses a tiny sensor embedded just under the surface of the skin which takes blood sugar readings every five minutes. The companion app reads that data and creates a graph on the Apple Watch.
It was revealed last week that more than half of the top US hospitals have already launched pilot programs using HealthKit to remotely monitor patients with chronic medical conditions.
