Glucose sensor app said to be first third-party title to access Apple iPhone's NFC
An app for Abbott's FreeStyle Libre glucose reader is said to be the first third-party iOS title to make use of the NFC chip in Apple's iPhone, previously reserved only for Apple Pay.
To sync glucose readings, users only have to hold their iPhone against the Libre, according to Abbott. The app doesn't yet appear to be in the U.S. App Store, and was spotted by iPhone-ticker.de.
With iOS 11 Apple introduced Core NFC, allowing third-party iPhone apps to scan NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format) tags. Notably the technology also requires an iPhone 7 or better, despite NFC chips being in iPhones as old as 2014's iPhone 6.
Access to NFC has been a contentious point with developers, some of whom are accustomed to the relatively open support on Android devices. Indeed Australian banks fought a battle to offer their own digital wallets through NFC, but Apple resisted and was ultimately supported by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
To sync glucose readings, users only have to hold their iPhone against the Libre, according to Abbott. The app doesn't yet appear to be in the U.S. App Store, and was spotted by iPhone-ticker.de.
With iOS 11 Apple introduced Core NFC, allowing third-party iPhone apps to scan NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format) tags. Notably the technology also requires an iPhone 7 or better, despite NFC chips being in iPhones as old as 2014's iPhone 6.
Access to NFC has been a contentious point with developers, some of whom are accustomed to the relatively open support on Android devices. Indeed Australian banks fought a battle to offer their own digital wallets through NFC, but Apple resisted and was ultimately supported by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Comments
https://www.myfreestyle.com/provider/?source=www.freestylelibre.us
I suppose that if the glucose values recorded are not real-time, but are accurate, they may be sufficient for someone that is not taking insulin, but even so, the manufacturer says to continue the finger-sticks while using this system.
And...
Note the “aiding in the detection of ... hypoglycemia”. Now another quote.
Inaccurate 40% of the time! That’s almost as bad as flipping a coin (50%), so it cant be trusted for hypoglycemia monitoring. Hopefully the hyperglycemia monitoring is more accurate.
So in summary, you can use this device, but you still have to do the finger-sticks, and the device may be inaccurate. Sounds like they have a long ways to go.
This Libre is great in concept and when much improved, will be a big improvement for many who need monitoring.
The competition is going to push for improvements in performance/comfort of the entire market.
Overall I happy and will wait to see how things shake out (including linking with the Apple Watch) before investing.
The Libre does display the trend of what my blood sugar levels are doing - stable, going up or down. The Libre has been designated as accurate enough to base insulin dosing decisions on. It did take a few weeks to become comfortable with it vs a finger test. There are differences between what the FDA has decided vs what the rest of the world gets. In Canada. and the rest of the world, the sensor can be worn for 14 days and readings available 1 hour after the sensor is installed. The FDA says 10 days and (I think) 24 hours after sensor installation for readings.
Everybody's mileage will vary. I find the Libre to be pretty close to what a finger test gives me. The Libre definitely has a sweet spot where the accuracy is better. If my blood sugar is high, the Libre and blood test have a higher discrepancy. When low, the discrepancy is a bit off but not as much as when high. When my glucose is within my "normal" range the accuracy is very good.
The new app will mean I have one less device to carry around. Right now I have my phone and a reader to scan the sensor with. If I can do it with just my phone my life improves. If I could scan with my watch, even better. Although as the sensor is worn on the bicep scanning my left arm with my left wrist is more difficult. The sensor only has a certain range in which the reader can scan from. I used to do 5-7 finger tests a day. Now I do 1 in the morning and rely on the Libre, only doing another finger test if I feel something isn't right.
Far from a novelty. This type of device is improving the life of diabetics but you need to know what you're doing with it. You're not handing your life over to a device but getting a tool to help make better decisions. The cost of the Libre is much lower than the Medtronic or Dexcom CGM systems which makes is more viable for some.
I think a non-invasive system is a long way off. The accuracy of a non-invasive device will be very problematic. Different skin tones, tattoos, body hair, watch snug or loose, etc. Apple will probably work with medical companies rather than build a glucose sensor into the watch. Any device that gives medical advice has to go through so many approvals it would be years before it came to the public. When Apple is introducing new devices every year, a glucose sensing watch that could take years to approve and then need to be re-approved when the next model comes out doesn't work. The Libre has been available in Europe for (maybe) 2 years. Canada since summer 2017 and only recently in the US.
I get frustrated because the three pieces of technology I use (glucose meter for blood test, insulin pump for dosing, iPhone for logging) don't all work together as a trio. I can get a meter that will talk directly to my phone, but which then requires me to manually enter the reading into the pump for dosing. I can get a meter that will talk directly to my pump and transmit the reading and save a step, but then I need to remember to log the reading.
(I happen to use Medtronic; it may well be that there is a different brand of pump/meter that will make them all work together, but I'm not interested in changing pump brands)
At the moment I choose to have my meter talk to the pump.
Long term diabetics with unstable diabetes often become 'insensitive' to the symptoms and take longer to wake themselves up.