Prototype Smart Ring Advances Non-Invasive Blood Sugar Measurement
Engineers from the University of California have developed a prototype smart ring that might have achieved a significant milestone in health wearables: measuring blood sugar levels without invasive methods. The data from this ring can be sent to a paired iPhone using a companion app.
Unlike existing smart rings that rely solely on biophysical sensors similar to those in the Apple Watch, this innovative ring tracks chemical markers by analyzing sweat. That’s pretty intriguing, right? Essentially, it means you don’t need to exert yourself just to get health data; it can pull sweat from the skin, as reported by CNET.
Today’s smart rings function much like the Apple Watch, equipped with sensors that gather various health information such as heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, and sleep patterns. It’s impressive, sure, but the combination of existing sensors with molecular ones could greatly enhance the scope of health monitoring.
The team at UC San Diego claims this could be the first smart ring to utilize finger sweat for tracking chemical biomarkers. Though still a prototype, it hints at a future where smart rings might consistently monitor our bodies on a molecular level, rather than just gathering biophysical data.
According to a paper published in Nature Communications, this smart ring can measure up to four biochemical markers simultaneously, including glucose, ketones, vitamin C, and alcohol levels.
This device could be especially beneficial for individuals with Type 1 diabetes.
“The ring’s capacity to track glucose and ketone levels continuously could greatly improve insulin dosing for diabetes management,” noted Joseph Wang, a professor in the department of Chemical and Nano Engineering.
Testing has shown that the prototype offers accuracy comparable to traditional glucose monitors and blood tests. However, it’s worth mentioning the charm of prototypes; this one is a bit bulky and has a battery life of just 12 hours. If commercial versions could make improvements in these areas, that would be exciting. I can only imagine the possibilities if Apple were to get involved with this tech.
*Screengrab from the paper published in Nature*
