Diabetes has been a big problem in the U.S for a while now, as about 1 in 10 American adults has diabetes. Apple CEO Tim Cook looks to help combat that problem – more specifically type 1, that deals with low blood sugar – by implementing a Glucose tracker into their watches.
According to a report from CNBC, Cook has been wearing a prototype tracker that pairs with the Apple Watch. This substantiates previous reports stating that Apple had hired a team of biomechanical engineers to develop the prototype.
“It’s mentally anguishing to stick yourself many times a day to check your blood sugar,” Cook said, according to CNBC. “There is lots of hope out there that if someone has constant knowledge of what they’re eating, they can instantly know what causes the response… and that they can adjust well before they become diabetic.”
While Cook himself has not professed to have diabetes, it still helped him understand the impact of different foods on his blood sugar levels, meaning that the monitor could be used for people without diabetes who are looking to monitor their nutritional values.
Though the current Apple CEO is the one bringing the product to life, the project has been on the companies to do list for a while. Former CEO Steve Jobs envisioned using wearable monitors to track blood sugar and other vital signs before he passed away, but the process to develop a noninvasive, yet accurate piece of technology has been challenging according to the engineers behind the product.
One of the biomedical expert tasked with the creation of the product, John L. Smith said developing such a device has been “the most difficult technical challenge I have encountered in my career.”
It’s encouraging to see that Cook is wearing a working – as far as we know anyway – prototype, but it would seem that the final product is a while away from release, based on Smith’s statement. Be sure to check back to the site for more updates in the meantime though, as well as all of your other Nerdy News!
