Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 may be equipped with a blood glucose monitor

Smartwatches have gained a number of health features over the years, from activity tracking to heart rate monitoring. If a new report is to be believed, devices like the Galaxy Watch 4 may also offer blood glucose monitoring.

According to ETNews, Samsung will reportedly use an optical sensor in the Galaxy Watch 4 that’s capable of monitoring a person’s blood glucose level. The feature won’t require users to draw blood, which is often how a person’s blood sugar is tracked. For people with diabetes, this would be a huge improvement over the painful options that are currently available.

Samsung could unveil the feature in the Galaxy Watch 4 at an Unpacked event later this year; the company may also include the new sensor in the Galaxy Watch Active 3. The report claims that the wearable’s blood glucose monitor will allow users to “adjust their daily habits or meals more systematically,” ultimately ditching more traditional methods that require users to prick their fingers with a needle.

According to the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation, roughly 34 million Americans have diabetes, so introducing a noninvasive way to monitor blood glucose would be a game-changer. Before now, companies have failed to properly monitor blood glucose outside of traditional methods, because it’s difficult to accurately test blood sugar without breaking the skin.

The technology included in the Galaxy Watch 4 will reportedly be based on Raman spectroscopy, which shines a near-infrared light and measures wavelengths caused by vibrations of molecules.

Apple is also reportedly planning to introduce similar technology in its next watch, which will likely be released in the fall. Both companies will need to secure regulatory approval if they want these wearables to be used as medical devices for diabetic patients. If they are as accurate as traditional methods, however, they could quickly become the preferred way for people to measure their blood sugar, and truly make wearables a must-have category for people across the world.

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