Diabetes Device Connects Wirelessly to iPhone
One of the most pleasing Web trends we're seeing in 2009 is the increasing penetration of web apps into the real world. Web applications for healthcare is one example. We wrote about a new Web-based Radiology Theatre built by IBM yesterday and today we discuss an iPhone app that helps people with diabetes. At yesterday's iPhone OS 3.0 announcement, diabetes software company LifeScan (owned by Johnson & Johnson) unveiled an iPhone app that wirelessly connects to a Bluetooth-enabled glucose meter.
Once connected - and that may also be done using a wired connection - the blood sugar levels are sent automatically to the iPhone. The app will then help the user calculate the necessary insulin doses based on the readings and their estimated food input.
The app also enables users to email their readings, along with a message, to other people such as your parents or nurse. Plus it has charts and lists - not unlike another iPhone app which this author uses to manage diabetes, called Diamedic.
The new LifeScan iPhone app isn't the only initiative to use Web technology to improve the lives of people with diabetes. DiabetesMine, a website run by Amy Tenderich, is running a competition for an iPod-like device or web app for diabetes management. According to Tenderich, "21m Americans live with diabetes, yet the devices we rely on generally don't hold a candle to the sleek design of consumer electronics (think iPod)." The 2009 DiabetesMine Design Challenge is offering a prize of $10,000. It's sponsored by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF), with support from global innovation firm IDEO, and by health blog Medgadget.com.
The Internet in Everyday Objects
We're increasingly seeing the Internet-enabled objects that up till now have been offline experiences. Earlier today we described how a UK company, partnering with Penguin, built 6 web-based book applications - including one that used Google Maps for a 'flyover' experience of storytelling, a Twitter book, and one where real time user keystrokes were tracked as part of the story. The creator of those, Dan Hon, told us that he was excited to see Bluetooth connectivity enabling a vastly improved interface for glucose monitors. He said that developments like this could be the stepping stones toward a future of ubiquitous computing - we're inclined to agree.
The next step of LifeScan's Internet-connected glucose monitor might be to have all that iPhone functionality in the glucose monitor itself, doing away with the need for the iPhone. Right now the cost of that would be prohibitive, but we can imagine a time in the near future when touch screen UIs and Internet connectivity in everyday devices will be commonplace and inexpensive.
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I'm also extremely optimistic about the future of bluetooth-connected iphone accessories. But I see the exact opposite trend to the one you mentioned in the last paragraph.
Instead of the peripherals/accessories becoming "smarter" within their own hardware, I see more of their intelligence and functionality being incorporated into the iphone (or other mobile device). This would be a much more exciting future because it would make the accessory hardware cheaper, while still allowing for more powerful features over time as the software gets upgraded.
The Nike Plus team got this right. Instead of putting all the smarts in a difficult to maintain piece of shoe hardware, most of the smarts is in the ipod software.
Looking forward to a bright future of intelligent devices!
Samidh, you make a good point. For nike shoes it certainly makes sense to keep the smarts in the mobile device, but for a glucose monitor it actually would be very useful to have the automation, tracking etc done on the glucose device. I'm a user of one of those things and I can tell you it's a pain to have to switch between two devices (glucose monitor and iphone). And as an electronic device already, it makes sense to add internet and processing power to the glucose monitor (whereas same can't be said of the shoe).
Maybe it'll be horses for courses.
I'd be surprise if LifeScan moved to make an iPhone-like BGM. They are more likely to move toward a more seamless module that plugs into the iPhone's USB. Just speculation.
I interviewed LifeScan yesterday about their iPhone demo--important to remember the system they showed off was just a prototype and not necessarily indicative of an imminent commercial launch. Apple only gave them a few weeks to prep so I think you're right in that they want to do more.
http://mobihealthnews.com/2009/03/interview-lifescan-on-iphone-30/
It will help patient with diabetes to get more clear over view of their glycemic picture.
very innovative product. i 'll try out it on my iphone today.
So do you think people with diabetes are going to be able to get an Iphone covered as a medical necessity?
That's really useful you will help many people with diabetes this gadget is awesome.
I agree with Brian and Samidh...
Future glucose monitors are likely to be tiny super simple devices that plugs into the iPhone and gets its power from it.
No battery, No wires, No Display, Nothing. Just enough to send the glucose reading to the iPhone over the dock conector.
All the smarts will be in the iPhone, not the other way around.
This year is pretty reach for new releases of iPhone apps for health care industry. This is one of the fats growing sections of AppStore. We also put our 2 cents into this trend. I invite you to check out the new application, UTS Diabetes for Apple iPhone in my signature URL. It appeared in AppStore just about a week ago.
iPhone platform allowed us to implement several new ideas that we couldn't implement before on Palm or RIM. We even submitted this app to DiabetesMine Design Challenge 2009 this May.
Could you not opt for an iPhone (or other smartphone) which is modified with an entry point for a test strip?
What about a small divice that conects directly to the bottom of the iPhone all it would have to do is read the strip. And honestly come on now with the complant of carting around 2 devices if u have diabetes u already have ur phone with u and u should have ur glucose counter. So u would think, it's only right to store that data on the phone wich can alert u when to measure, store and graph ur readings, update ur App with newer things as time goes on, and even suggest what foods you should eat based on ur levels, sex, hight and weight. And I'm sure there are many other things u could think of. I'm just doin some reserch, because my mother has Type 2 and I believe she would be a little more on top of it, if she had something that could be a little more interactive in her life. Like her phone because it's always with her. As of now she is not very good at monitoring herself.
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