Jakarta –
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety statement warning the public not to use smartwatches and smart rings that claim to be able to measure blood sugar levels without inserting a needle into the skin.
“The FDA has not authorized and approved any smartwatch or smart ring that is intended to measure or estimate blood glucose values by itself,” the FDA was quoted as saying detikINET from Engadget.
The FDA further asks consumers, patients, and caregivers to stay away from and not use such devices.
Non-invasive blood sugar monitoring is currently what the FDA says cannot be done on any consumer device. Popular wearable devices like the Apple Watch and Oura ring can be paired with FDA-cleared wearable devices like the Dexcom G7, which uses a needle to read the user’s blood sugar levels.
Having a smartwatch or smart ring to monitor blood sugar levels without penetrating the skin would be a huge medical advance, so that diabetics, for example, could stop pricking themselves every day, and tell pre-diabetics.
Both Apple and Samsung have reportedly been working on this technology for years. Last year, Bloomberg reported that Apple’s non-puncture monitoring was at the proof-of-concept stage and could come to market once the company finds a way to shrink its size.
Apple has been working on this project since 2010, although it will likely still be years before the technology is small enough to be included in the Apple Watch.
Samsung is also exploring ways to build the technology into the Galaxy Ring, a product the company recently announced. The FDA explains that current smartwatches and smart rings do not directly test blood glucose levels
If you find a company selling a device with this claim, users can report it to the FDA via the MedWatch Voluntary Reporting Form.
Watch the video “World Smartwatch Sales Increase 9 Percent in Q3 2023”
(jsn/jsn)
2024-02-24 14:15:47
#Bans #Smartwatches #Measure #Blood #Sugar #Needles
