What you need to know
- An Apple supplier has today unveiled its new digital health monitoring solution.
- Rockley Photonics 'clinic-on-the-wrist digital health sensor can measure blood glucose and more.
- Apple is rumored to be bringing a similar feature to the next Apple Watch.
Apple supplier Rockley Photonics has today unveiled its new all-in-one clinic-on-the-wrist health sensor that features non-invasive blood glucose measuring.
In a press release the company stated:
Rockley Photonics, a leading global silicon photonics technology company, today revealed its complete full-stack, "clinic-on-the-wrist" digital health sensor system.Rockley's sensor module and associated reference designs for consumer products integrate hardware and application firmware to enable wearable devices to monitor multiple biomarkers, including core body temperature, blood pressure, body hydration, alcohol, lactate, and glucose trends, among others.Rockley's full-stack sensing solution features a wristband that contains the sensor module and communicates with custom cloud-based analytical engines via a Rockley smartphone app. The wristband will be used in a sequence of in-house human studies in the coming months.
Back in March it was reported that Rockley, which lists Apple as one of its biggest customers, had created specialist sensors capable of measuring blood sugar and even blood pressure using light, from that report:
A future Apple Watch could be able to measure a user's blood sugar level as well as their blood pressure via a noninvasive method thanks to specialist sensors created by a UK startup.Rockley Photonics already has sensors similar to those used on the back of Apple Watches sold around the world, but it's also working on something that's much more capable, according to a Gadgets and Wearables report. Rockley Photonics lists Apple as one of its biggest customers.
Supply chain reports back in January have also suggested that the Apple Watch Series 7 could feature the same technology. Apple's current Apple Watch Series 6 is the best Apple Watch currently available and can help users to monitor their blood oxygen levels. Whilst there's no guarantee a future Apple Watch could indeed adopt this technology, the rumors are out there and Rockley's announcement today proves the technology is now readily available to Apple.
