Apple CEO Tim Cook has been spotted testing a glucose monitor prototype which was connected to his Apple Watch to understand how his blood sugar is affected by food and exercise.
“The company is said to have a team of biomedical engineers working on developing sensors for non-invasively monitoring blood sugar levels,” CNBC reported on Friday.
The current glucose trackers on the market rely on tiny sensors and rumours suggests that the company is already conducting feasibility trials in the Bay Area.
According to CNBC, the Apple team is working at a non-descript office, miles from corporate headquarters. The initiative was envisioned by the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
Jobs had envisioned that wearable devices, like smartwatches, could be used to monitor oxygen levels, heart rate and blood glucose.
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.
In February, at the University of Glasgow, Mr. Cook reiterated Apple’s commitment to the health space and the executive spoke about the struggles faced by people with diabetes.
“There is lots of hope out there that if someone has constant knowledge of what they are eating, they can instantly know what causes the response and that they can adjust well before they become diabetic,” Mr. Cook said.
