Has technology made enough progress that we can use a wristwatch to check our blood glucose levels any time of the day? Maybe. PKvitality has announced the start of a clinical trial for the world’s first Continuous Glucose Monitoring CGM smartwatch, the K’Watch Glucose.
PKvitality is a European medical company dedicated to creating smart solutions in the health and sports domain. A unique perspective of their latest innovation is the use of relatively less invasive technology to measure glucose as compared to other CGMs such as Dexcom and Abbot
The clinical trials for K’Watch Glucose aim to check the accuracy of the smartwatch in determining the blood glucose levels of the person. The trials have been partially funded by the European Innovation Council Fund (EIC Fund) and are being held in collaboration with AMCR Institute Inc, a clinical research center with a focus on diabetes and obesity.
K’Watch Glucose consists of two parts:
- K’Watch (the smartwatch)
- K’apsul (the adhesive patch at the back of the watch)
The watch measures blood glucose levels through a special technology known as the SkinTaste. A patented array of biosensors with less than 1mm long micropoints are placed in the watch. These micropoints analyze the chemical composition of interstitial fluid to offer continuous monitoring of blood glucose levels. The micropoints are invisible to others, and they help monitor glucose levels without any pain for the patient. The sensor patch needs to be replaced just once a week.
Study results are expected by the summer of 2022.
An estimated 463 million people are living with diabetes. If the clinical trials prove successful and K’Watch gets FDA and CE clearance, we will have a much easier way to monitor blood glucose. The concept of measuring blood glucose would entirely change. There would be no painful finger sticks and no patches required to manage diabetes in terms of measuring glucose. The readings will be available 24/7 right there on your smartwatch.
