Apple has been working on a secret project known as E5, which aims to create a noninvasive and continuous blood glucose monitoring system. This breakthrough would be of great benefit to diabetics, and if added to the Apple Watch, would make it an essential item for millions of diabetics worldwide. Using chip technology called silicon photonics and a measurement process called optical absorption spectroscopy, Apple aims to use lasers to emit specific wavelengths of light into an area beneath the skin to detect the concentration of glucose. “Apple’s senior executives believe this problem is one that it’s uniquely positioned to crack, given the company’s expertise in hardware and software integration — along with its deep pockets,” according to anonymous insiders.
Apple has already tested its glucose technology on hundreds of people over the past decade, including those with prediabetes and type-2 diabetes. In human trials, it has used the system with people who don’t know if they’re diabetic. Engineers are working to develop a prototype device that can be strapped to a person’s bicep about the size of an iPhone, a significant reduction from an early version of the system that sat atop a table. According to the insiders, the glucose monitoring system is at a proof-of-concept stage, and the company believes the technology is viable but needs to be shrunk down to a more practical size.
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However, despite major strides in technology, numerous start-ups, including some of the world’s largest companies, have failed to develop a noninvasive monitoring system. In 2014, Google announced plans to make smart contact lenses that could measure blood glucose through teardrops, but shelved the complex project in 2018.
Nevertheless, Apple’s senior executives believe that they are uniquely positioned to crack this problem given their expertise in hardware and software integration, along with their deep pockets. CEO Tim Cook, COO Jeff Williams, and Apple Watch hardware head Eugene Kim are all involved in the project, which has already cost hundreds of millions of dollars, according to anonymous sources.
