Painless continuous blood sugar monitoring on the horizon for US$199 thanks to the K'Watch Glucose from PKVitality

Hot on the heels of news about the continued development of the Afon pain-free, non-invasive blood sugar monitor is the revelation that the K’Watch Glucose smartwatch from PKVitality is getting closer to being medically certified in the US for use as a glucose monitor. The device, which looks like a typical smartwatch, is undergoing a clinical investigation involving 35 patients, with the study completion date expected to be June 30, 2022. PKVitality expects to have the K’Watch Glucose on the market at some point in 2022 or 2023 depending on the region.

The K’Watch Glucose comes fitted with a disposable part on the bottom that has been called the K’apsul. This component features the sensors and “micro-points” required to measure blood sugar levels. Although the wearer might feel some slight pressure, there is no breaking of the skin and therefore no pain. The K’apsul is designed for continuous use, with the K’Watch Glucose being showerproof and ideal for wear during exercise. However, the patch needs to be replaced every 7 days.

Along with measuring blood glucose levels, the K’Watch features typical smartwatch utilities such as activity tracking, heart-rate monitoring, sleep quality monitoring, and it can even be used to set off an alarm if the wearer is suffering from either a hypoglycemia (blood glucose level is too low) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar level) episode. Fingertip pricking will be a painful memory of the past if PKVitality can get the K’Watch Glucose clinically certified and onto the market.

The expected price of the smartwatch is a bit steep if you compare it to a typical activity tracker bands but is reasonable when compared to high-end smartwatch models such as the Apple Watch Series 7 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. The K’Watch Glucose looks the part, although it is chunky too, but that’s required for its potentially life-saving components.

The company states a likely US$199/€199 price tag for the K’Watch Glucose smartwatch, with an accompanying Android and iOS application currently being developed. The K'apsul patches are tentatively priced at about US$99.90/€99.90 a month (presumably the product FAQs mean for a month's supply as the patches need changing every week). Final prices will depend on launch time variables such as taxes and sales region.

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