A recent report by the South Korean state-backed publication ET News reveals that both Apple and Samsung are developing a blood sugar monitoring system to incorporate into their next smartwatch models.
The publication details that Samsung is expected to announce three wearables at the second unpacked event scheduled for later this year. The wearables are expected to be announced with the company’s new foldable phone lineup and the new blood monitoring feature is expected to arrive with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch Active 3.
(Note that the names of the watches mentioned are tentative and have not been confirmed via official means.)
Although we don’t know how Apple aims to pull this off, the report explains that Samsung will use an optical sensor that can detect blood glucose (sugar) levels. It will also tell you whether it is within the desired limit or not which is vital for people with diabetic conditions. Traditionally, checking blood sugar level requires drawing blood and using a device that detect the amount of glucose within the sample of blood.
The method Samsung is opting for is based on Raman spectroscopy. It was reportedly developed by research done by Samsung and MIT. The optical sensors collect information from the waves generated by the vibrations of a material when a laser light hits it.
These medical tier technologies require government approval before implementation. Both Samsung and Apple had to get their ECG monitoring systems for smartwatches approved. We believe the same course of action will be followed for blood sugar monitoring as well.
