Occuity Indigo: Pain-free, optical, non-contact glucose meter in development that looks like an MiB neuralyzer and was designed by an Apple veteran
Occuity, a British medtech company that suitably focuses on non-contact optical devices, is currently in the research and development phase for its Indigo non-invasive blood glucose monitor. While there appears to be a whole raft of startups concentrating on a pain-free glucose-monitoring solution for the millions of diabetics around the world, not many of them have come up with such a novel idea as Occuity’s Indigo monitor. This particular device doesn’t even require contact (apart from being held in the hand, obviously), and it has no disposable parts and definitely no needles. Readings can be sent to a connected device or viewed on the Indigo meter itself.
The Occuity Indigo certainly looks like a high-tech medical device; in fact, it even resembles the memory-erasing neuralyzers from the Men in Black franchise, as the measuring component neatly pops up from the top of the pen-shaped device. However, instead of emitting a blinding flash, the Indigo glucose monitor uses “high-speed confocal scanning technology” to take readings of biomarkers found in the aqueous humour in the anterior chamber of the eye. Apparently, the glucose levels measured in this part of the eye match up accurately with those taken from the bloodstream.
The design stage of the Occuity Indigo blood sugar monitor has been directed by Daniele De Iuliis, who spent over quarter-of-a-century working with the Industrial Design Group at Apple. While the Indigo device looks the part in concept images, there is apparently still a long way to go before it hits market stage, although Occuity did manage to secure £2.85 million (US$3.6 million) in crowdfunding investment in the last quarter of 2021. So, there are no price tag or release date announcements on the horizon just yet for the pain-free glucose meter. Those who want to know more about Indigo can join Occuity’s diabetes community and choose interests such as "product testing" and "clinical trials" from a list.
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