Updates In Wearable Technology
McKenzie Skurat, PharmD
M Health Fairview
Abbott’s newest continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, the FreeStyle® Libre 3, received US Food and Drug Administration approval on May 31st, 2022, for patients four years of age and older diagnosed with type 1 and 2 diabetes that do not utilize an automated insulin dosing system. The new CGM offers an increased bluetooth range between smartphone and sensor from 20 to 33 feet and it is currently the thinnest, smallest, and most discrete sensor on the market being only the size of about 2.9 mm in height and 21 mm in diameter. With the new technology, patients no longer have to remember to scan their sensor every eight hours because the FreeStyle® Libre 3 will automatically store and send data to the user’s device once the initial scan to link the sensor to the phone is completed. A potential limitation for use of the FreeStyle® Libre 3 is that it requires a smartphone, as a reader has not been approved for use in the United States. Like previous generations, the FreeStyle® Libre 3 will continue to integrate with the LibreLinkUp smartphone app and LibreView cloud-based data system and is compatible with most Apple IOS and select Android products. The FreeStyle® Libre 3 will continue to show glucose trends and allow patients to set optional glucose alarms to help with better hypoglycemic management.
According to Sabin 2022, the University of Texas and Texas A & M University have developed a new technology that takes “wearable technology” to a whole new level: temporary tattoos that measure blood pressure (BP). The tattoos are made with graphene, a carbon that promotes bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), which is similar to the technology used in smart scales that measure body fat. The graphene temporary tattoo lasts for approximately a week, during which it uses BIA to send data to a machine that will provide the results. Similarly to the devices used in ambulatory BP monitoring today, this technology will help identify the patient's BP throughout the entire day rather than just a moment in time. Testing has shown that this technology is accurate and could be available within the next five years.
References:
- FreeStyle Libre 3: Welcome to the U.S. Abbott. Published May 31, 2022. Accessed August 9, 2022. https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/strategy-and-strength/freestyle-libre3-welcome-to-the-us.html
- Reports & Patient Resources. FreeStyle Libre Providers. Accessed August 9, 2022. https://www.freestyleprovider.abbott/us-en/freestyle-libre-resources.html#:~:text=FreeStyle%20Libre%202%20and%20FreeStyle%20Libre%203%20systems
- Sabin N. The Next Blood Pressure Breakthrough: Temporary Tattoos. Medscape. Published July 25, 2022. Accessed August 9, 2022. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/977914_print