Apple Supplier Rockley Unveils Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitor for Future Apple Watch

BY Sanuj Bhatia

Published 14 Jul 2021

rockley blood glucose monitor for Apple Watch

Apple’s health devices supplier Rockley Photonics has developed a new range of advanced digital sensors for wearables. The new range of digital sensors includes a non-invasive blood glucose monitor, core body temperature, and many more. These sensors could feature in future Apple Watch models.

Apple has been known to be developing solutions for monitoring blood glucose via Apple Watch. The upcoming Apple Watch Series 7 was rumored to come with blood glucose monitoring. But the company wasn’t able to integrate the sensor onto the device, according to a few reports.

It seems that the dream might come true one day. Apple has known to be working with a UK-based startup called Rockley Photonics. Today, Rockley, unveiled a full stack of “clinic-on-the-wrist” digital health sensor systems, enabling wearable devices to monitor multiple biomarkers, including core body temperature, blood pressure, body hydration, alcohol, lactate, and glucose trends, and more.

In particular, the blood glucose monitor developed by Rockley is of the non-invasive type. Currently, the wearables use a sensor that perforates the skin in order to monitor glucose levels. Rockley has developed an optical sensor that uses a spectrophotometer to provide real-time analysis of the blood.

Many publications are now speculating that the same tech could be used in the upcoming Apple Watches. Since Apple is already the largest customer of Rockley, and the relations between the two companies are good, Rockley is said to be providing this tech to Apple for integrating blood glucose monitors into the Apple Watch.

Rockley has previously said that its sensors could be in consumer smartwatches and other electronics as soon as next year, which could align with the launch of the Apple Watch Series 8 models in 2022.