Apple Supplier Rockley Photonics Unveils Health Tracking Tech Likely to Come to Apple Watch

[MacRumors]

Rockley Photonics, an Apple supplier, has today unveiled an advanced digital sensor system that is likely to come to the Apple Watch to enable a wide range of new health tracking features.

The company today revealed a full-stack, "clinic-on-the-wrist" digital health sensor system, enabling wearable devices to monitor multiple biomarkers, including core body temperature, blood pressure, body hydration, alcohol, lactate, and glucose trends, and more.

The technology uses a miniaturized chip solution with optical sensors that provide continuous, non-invasive monitoring of various biomarkers, in an attempt to overcome many of the challenges associated with wearable health monitoring and avoid the need for invasive sensors that must perforate the skin.

Many wearables use green LEDs to monitor heart rate, but Rockley's sensor uses infrared spectrophotometers that can detect and monitor a much wider range of biomarkers to dramatically increase the functionality of wearable devices. The sensor generates lasers to non-invasively probe beneath the skin to analyze blood, interstitial fluids, and layers of the dermis for specific constituents and physical phenomena.

Rockley is initially launching its full-stack sensing solution as a wristband that contains the sensor module and communicates with an app and it will be used in a number of human studies in the coming months, but the company suggested that its sensor module and associated reference designs, including hardware and application firmware, will be available for other consumer products.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Apple is the largest customer of Rockley Photonics. The company's filings said that Apple accounted for the majority of its revenue over the last two years and that it has an ongoing "supply and development agreement" with the company, under which it expects to continue to heavily rely on Apple for most of its revenue.

Given the growth of Rockley Photonics and the scale of Apple's partnership with the company, it seems to be highly likely that the company's health sensor technology will be coming to the Apple Watch sooner rather than later, providing the technology lives up to expectations. Rockley has previously said that its sensors could be in consumer smartwatches and other electronics as soon as next year, which could align with the launch of Apple Watch Series 8 models.

Article Link: Apple Supplier Rockley Photonics Unveils Health Tracking Tech Likely to Come to Apple Watch

 

[orbital~debris]

I am so here for the WATCH Infrared Spectrophotometer Edition!

 

[FellaMeLad]

I was thinking of upgrading my Series 4 in September/October with the upcoming Series 7, but I'll probably hold off until Series 8 if this additional functionality will be present. Not sure about "...The sensor generates lasers to non-invasively probe beneath the skin..." though!

 

[ChaosHex]

This is fantastic. As a diabetic, avoiding needles but still seeing my continuous blood sugar trends would be an absolute dream. FreestyleLibre costs upwards of $80 or more per unit, every two weeks… Ludicrous!

 

[JosephAW]

Translation: Even shorter battery life.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Wow! Very useful feature. Apple Watch, most advanced watch in this world.

 

[Macintosh IIvx]

I was thinking of upgrading my Series 4 in September/October with the upcoming Series 7, but I'll probably hold off until Series 8 if this additional functionality will be present. Not sure about "...The sensor generates lasers to non-invasively probe beneath the skin..." though!

There is absolutely ZERO guarantee the Series 8 will have it. Not is there any the Series 9 will. I wouldn't bet on it.

I'm still upgrading my Series 4 this year to the 7. If the 8 is really that groundbreaking then it'll be worth the upgrade cost from the 7 (and the 7 should still have a decent trade-in price to make up much of the difference).

 

[AngerDanger]

… alcohol, lactate, and glucose trends, and more.

… provide continuous, non-invasive monitoring of various biomarkers …

That's amazing! I remember watching a video on YouTube of a guy whose high-tech blood glucose monitoring solution involved injecting/sticking an AirTag-sized pack onto his arm with a filament that got injected with a needle but is a fiber once inside.

Spoiler: The injection process is a little brutal

It was cool that he was able to continuously monitor himself, but the fact that the pack was always partially inside his arm was… less than optimal.

I guess this was back in 2015, but it still seems so cool to do this without needles!

 

[needsomecoffee]

Never better opportunity for a low-cost, health-only band, cross-platform. Apple does its shareholders well with the walled garden, but hopefully Tim & Co. see the opportunity for the brand to mean more re: health. We need them.

 

[pmjoe]

To do any kind of true "health monitoring" these would probably need FDA approval. The real question is probably - where are they with that?

 

[Techwatcher]

Translation: Even shorter battery life.

Doubt it. Battery life might make some strides by 2022 I presume.

 

[rpmurray]

Why hasn't Apple acquired the company yet?

 

[mikethemartian]

I’m curious how exactly they implement the diffraction grating needed for a spectrophotometers in the silicon chips.

 

[FellaMeLad]

There is absolutely ZERO guarantee the Series 8 will have it. Not is there any the Series 9 will. I wouldn't bet on it.

I'm still upgrading my Series 4 this year to the 7. If the 8 is really that groundbreaking then it'll be worth the upgrade cost from the 7 (and the 7 should still have a decent trade-in price to make up much of the difference).

Oh yeah I realise that this is just speculation at this point. The good news is that Rockley are conducting trials with this tech, so it's not just vapourware. I guess I'll see what the 7 brings in a few months. If it's nothing groundbreaking, then I'll likely hold off. Once the 8 releases, my Watch will be starting to show its age, so I'll definitely upgrade at that point...

 

[AngerDanger]

Wow! Very useful feature. Apple Watch, most advanced watch in this world.

May we one day catch up with Martian watch technology.

 

[PlayUltimate]

Interesting tech likely 1-2 years off. Still planning to do device upgrades in the Fall.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

I was thinking of upgrading my Series 4 in September/October with the upcoming Series 7, but I'll probably hold off until Series 8 if this additional functionality will be present. Not sure about "...The sensor generates lasers to non-invasively probe beneath the skin..." though!

Hmm, glucose is 96… what’s that burning smell?

 

[Ursadorable]

Blood pressure measurement without a cuff is going to be the real game changer, if/when they finally figure out how to do it.

 

[DaPizzaMan]

Doubt it. Battery life might make some strides by 2022 I presume.

What makes you say that?

 

[MyDogPia]

Why hasn't Apple acquired the company yet?

Good question. I listened to the CEO earlier this year and he sounded kind of like a doofus. Apple doesn’t like CEOs talking about their products if they’re related to an Apple product. So I’m not 100% sure this is going into the Apple Watch. I was actually involved in a diabetic study 22 years ago for non-invasive blood glucose device. It’s a very very complex engineering problem. The device obviously never came to market. Fingers crossed that some sort of noninvasive blood glucose device comes to the Apple Watch. Even if it’s not FDA approved it will help improve the quality of life for type 1 diabetic‘s as well as type 2 diabetics.

 

[hybrid_x]

Why hasn't Apple acquired the company yet?

Probably looking to avoid an antitrust lawsuit.

 

[RalfTheDog]

Translation: Even shorter battery life.

It does not use any energy if it is not scanning. If you have the function turned on, it might take a sample every five minutes. At worst, this will make the watch a bit thicker.

I’m curious how exactly they implement the diffraction grating needed for a spectrophotometers in the silicon chips.

I am guessing lots of sensors, each tuned to a specific wavelength.

 

[SurferPup]

I can't wait for the  Watch that monitors my blood alcohol content and Siri advises, "Warning, SurferPup you are about to pass out and by the way: your pants are still down."

 

[3Gmatt]

This is fantastic. As a diabetic, avoiding needles but still seeing my continuous blood sugar trends would be an absolute dream. FreestyleLibre costs upwards of $80 or more per unit, every two weeks… Ludicrous!

Yep, instant buy as soon as they have glucose tracking.

 

[DTphonehome]

I don't think glucose "trends" would be useful for diabetics as a diagnostic tool and for making on the fly adjustments to insulin dosing, but it would be very useful for the general population to see if someone is developing indicators for diabetes and intervening before they get to that point. Hydration and blood alcohol sensors are a very useful feature for wide swaths of the population.