photo credit: Afon Technology
New images have been released of the world’s first real-time, non-invasive, wearable blood glucose sensor.
The device, designed to be placed inside the user’s wrist, uses bluetooth to send glucose level information to a companion app that displays the wearer’s blood glucose trends and reports high or low glucose levels and other personal health trends. The app can be installed on any chosen smartwatch, phone or tablet.
An estimated 463 million people worldwide have diabetes. The new non-invasive blood glucose sensor could make it easier to monitor the disease, thereby optimising outcomes for people with diabetes.
Sabih Chaudhry, CEO of Afon Technology, commented on the tool’s preview, noting that the company’s world-class team of experts is now ready to unveil this life-changing product. People with diabetes will now have access to a painless, needle-free tool that will allow them to monitor their blood glucose levels from the smart device of their choice with this innovative wearable sensor, he concluded.
The device is expected to eliminate the limitations that come with diabetes monitoring, make it easier to manage the disease, and thereby reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications such as heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney failure and limb amputations.
The developers are confident that the solution could become a reality in the very near future, as preliminary clinical research has shown very positive results.
Professor de Vries, medical director of Profil, the diabetes research organisation in Germany, specialising in internal medicine and endocrinology and senior researcher at the University of Amsterdam Medical School (AMC-UvA), said in a statement following the research how the Afon sensor was evaluated under hyper- and hypoglycaemic conditions during clinical trials, confirming the possibilities of this alternative technology to traditional blood glucose monitoring tools.
In addition to its painless qualities, the device also does not rely on replaceable components, such as patches and needles, like its competitors, potentially making it a more cost-effective option for diabetes monitoring in the long run.
Following another round of clinical trials soon, it is hoped Afon will be available to purchase from the end of 2022.