Apple Watch to gain direct support for Dexcom G5 glucose sensor

Dexcom (NSDQ:DXCM) and Apple (NSDQ:AAPL) will team up to integrate data directly from Dexcom’s glucose sensors into Apple’s wearable Apple Watch, according to a presentation from the tech company this week.

The update will come alongside updated Bluetooth API for the watch, which will allow the sensor to connect directly to the device, avoiding the need to pass through an iPhone application, according to a CNBC report.

Currently, users are able to view glucose readings, trend arrows and trend graphs on the Watch by syncing the Dexcom G5 mobile application to the Watch. This means that if the user’s phone is dead, out of range or disconnected from bluetooth, there is no way to see the data on the wearable Watch.

With the update, the Watch and Dexcom glucose sensor will communicate directly, eliminating possible phone issues from the equation, Apple said at its WWDC 2017 presentation.

Apple’s update could pave the way for other health tracking sensors to connect directly to the watch, possibly using interchangeable watch bands to monitor other health metrics.

In May, rumors swirled that the device would gain direct connectivity to glucose sensors, as well as the possibility of other smart band sensors. Apple has reportedly hired on approximately 200 individuals with PhDs as it looks to improve and innovate the health capabilities of the Apple Watch, according to BGR.

In April, CNBC reported that Apple had hired a team of biomedical engineers to work at a separate office in Palo Alto, Calif. The report claims that the team is “part of a super secret initiative, initially envisioned by the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, to develop sensors that can non invasively and continuously monitor blood sugar levels to better treat diabetes.”

The company was far enough along to be performing feasibility trials at clinical sites in California’s Bay Area, with consultants on hand to help navigate regulatory pathways, according to the CNBC report.

The post Apple Watch to gain direct support for Dexcom G5 glucose sensor appeared first on MassDevice.

from MassDevice http://ift.tt/2scKNSp