Apple is making progress on no-prick blood glucose monitoring that could eventually come to the Apple Watch, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The moonshot technology, which is now a viable proof-of-concept, relies on lasers to measure glucose concentration under the user's skin, making it noninvasive.
- Apple engineers in its Exploratory Design Group (XDG) are reportedly developing a silicon photonics chip that uses optical absorption spectroscopy.
- The system emits laser light at specific wavelengths to a special area below the skin, reflecting it back to the sensor to gauge glucose levels using an algorithm.
- According to Bloomberg, the technology started out tabletop-sized but has shrunk to a prototype roughly the size of an iPhone. It still needs to be condensed further to be used via a sensor on the Apple Watch or other wearable.
- The project has been under development since 2010, when Apple acquired spectroscopy startup RareLight under the leadership of Steve Jobs.
- While such a wearable device is likely years away, it could significantly alter how diabetics monitor their blood glucose and also alert wearers who may be prediabetic.
