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Tag: blood

  • Rumor: Apple Watch Series 7 could feature blood sugar sensor, address diabetic health concerns

    Rumor: Apple Watch Series 7 could feature blood sugar sensor, address diabetic health concerns

    The next-gen Apple Watch could feature a sensor that will help monitor your blood sugar.

    Per Korean web site ET News, the Apple Watch Series 7, which is slated to launch later this year, could include a blood sugar sensor. The move would add to the health applications which have become a major selling point for the smartwatch.

    When Apple first launched the Apple Watch, the company primarily marketed it as a convenient way to view and respond to notifications. It fairly quickly became apparent, however, that it was the health and fitness features which were driving sales, and Apple adapted its messaging and product development focus accordingly.

    CEO Tim Cook offered the following comment regarding adding medical capabilities to the device, citing potential hurdles in waiting for FDA approval that could hold back innovation:

    “We don’t want to put the watch through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) process. I wouldn’t mind putting something adjacent to the watch through it, but not the watch, because it would hold us back from innovating too much, the cycles are too long. But you can begin to envision other things that might be adjacent to it — maybe an app, maybe something else.”

    Apple would later include such features in response to customer demand, and in 2018, the company added ECG functionality to the wearable, including Afib detection. The introduction of the Apple Watch Series 6 included a feature that monitored blood oxygen saturation levels.

    A move towards incorporating a blood sugar sensor would be an obvious next step, as the American Diabetes Association estimates that more than 10 percent of Americans have diabetes, and that over 26 million of them are undiagnosed. The incorporation of such a sensor would be invaluable in prompting formal testing, diagnosis and treatment.

    It’s not clear at this stage whether the existing infrared sensor will be able to act as a blood glucose detector too. Customers can already buy affordable home test devices that sync to your iPhone and Apple Watch, but these rely on small pin-pricks. The current focus is on non-invasive detection, and this can be achieved via infrared sensors.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and ET News

  • Apple Watch Series 6 blood oxygen sensor may fall short of dedicated device’s performance, be unreliable for diagnosing medical issues

    As exciting as the Apple Watch Series 6’s blood oxygen sensor may be, it might not be up to snuff for medical purposes.

    Apple’s fine print regarding this feature offers a few caveats:

    Blood Oxygen app measurements are not intended for medical use, including self-diagnosis or consultation with a doctor, and are only designed for general fitness and wellness purposes.

    This means that you might not be able to rely on the data being very accurate. Per a number of early tests, the data can be quite imprecise.

    According to the Washington Post’s Geoffrey Fowler, the sensor occasionally said his “lungs and heart are the picture of health, pumping blood that’s 100 percent saturated with oxygen.” Other times, though, the sensor suggests he might have emphysema, his blood oxygen is so low.

    Fowler compared the Apple Watch Series 6 to a $60 FDA-approved finger pulse oximeter, and reported an error rate of plus one or minus two percentage points. He noted that the results sometimes matched, but most often were two to three percentage points different. At times, though, the Apple Watch differed from the finger pulse oximeter by seven percent.

    When Apple introduced the ECG function into its watch in 2018, it worked with researchers to publish accuracy studies. Cupertino also got FDA clearance (not the same as “approval”) for its app. Even so, the company was very forthcoming with its warning not to rely upon the irregular-rhythm notification if you’d previously been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

    In short, you might not want to purchase an Apple Watch Series 6 with the idea that it will accurately diagnose medical issues such as COVID-19, sleep apnea, emphysema, pulmonary embolisms, or any other health problems.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Mac Observer and The Washington Post

  • Apple announces Apple Watch Series 6, adds new sensors, including an oximeter and an altimeter

    Over at its “Time Flies” media event, Apple announced its Apple Watch Series 6 smartwatch. The new model keeps the same design as the Series 4 and Series 5 models, but includes new internal improvements, new finishes, and an oximeter sensor.

    The units are available in 44mm and 44mm with an always-on Retina display, and the oximeter measures blood oxygen levels.

    Blood oxygen levels between 95% and 100% are considered healthy; blood oxygen levels below 80% may lead to compromised heart and brain functionality. Risk of respiratory or cardiac arrest is common after continued low blood oxygen saturation. If Apple Watch detects a blood oxygen level below a certain threshold, it will trigger a notification for the user.

    The Apple Watch Series 6 arrives with a faster S6 chip, faster performance, and new sensors, including an altimeter. The unit also comes with several new watch faces, including a new Memoji theme.

    Apple Watch Series 6 will be available in stores this Friday, September 18, with prices starting at $399 for the 40mm GPS aluminum model. Pre-orders began yesterday in the United States and other countries.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac

  • Apple Watch Series 6 could include blood oxygen detection, improved ECG features

    A good product might get even niftier in its next generation.

    Apple is rumored to be incorporating new health-focused features as well as a new sensor suit to its sixth-get Apple Watch this fall. The rumors have centered around blood oxygen detection, and an improved ECG, which would accompany the device’s current fall detection and heart rate monitoring by default.

    While the technology for blood oxygen detection has existed in the Apple Watch since the first version, it has never been used. However, a new report claims that the “Apple Watch Series 6” in the fall may have the ability.

    If a person’s blood oxygen falls below healthy levels, which is usually around 95% to 100% saturation, it can lead to heart health issues or even cardiac arrest. It is suggested that once implemented, users will be able to get push notifications for low blood oxygen via the updated Apple Watch.

    Apple has incorporated an Electrocardiogram via the Digital Crown since the Apple Watch Series 4, although these units could return inconclusive results if the heart rate is too high. An improved system would allow ECGs to performed at a much wider range of heartbeats.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and 9to5Mac

  • Emergency physician examines Apple Watch’s ECG/EKG functions

    This is pretty interesting, especially where the Apple Watch’s health perspective is concerned:

    I’m an Emergency Physician and read/interpret ECGs on a daily basis. I wanted to talk about the Apple Watch’s new ECG feature as there are a lot of misconceptions about this new function. Apple Watch’s new ECG feature is pretty neat and a lot of people here are understandably excited about it, but it does have limitations.

    I also wanted to do a brief tutorial on the basics of ECGs.

    (more…)