Garmin might beat Apple and Samsung with blood sugar monitoring, but not in the way you expect

Garmin appears to be on track to introduce blood glucose monitoring on some of its smartwatches, according to recent patent filings.

The invention in question is a method for estimating glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), a key marker of long-term blood sugar control, using optical sensor data from a wearable device.

In essence, the Garmin watch shines tiny beams of light (using its LEDs at the back) into your skin and measures how much light bounces back.

By using several colours of light and comparing how they’re absorbed, the watch can estimate how much of your haemoglobin is carrying sugar.

From that, it calculates an HbA1c value, which is basically a measure of your average blood sugar over the past couple of months.

Not a CGM replacement

It's crucial to understand that the system Garmin proposes isn't to replace continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), and can't track sugar levels every second.

Instead, the patent suggests periodic updates (weekly or monthly), which would fit seamlessly into the Garmin Connect+ subscription service.

The good news is that the new system builds on existing optical pulse sensors in wearables (like those for heart rate and SpO₂), so it might not be limited to upcoming wearables – current-gen watches could also get the update.

It's a published patent application, not a granted patent, and it's worth noting that not all published applications become granted patents.

However, given that smartwatch brands have been working for years to develop non-invasive glucose monitoring, it's likely we'll see this feature land on Garmins soon.

The fact that it won't require a new optical sensor suggests that machine learning algorithms are involved.

Apple published a study last year about using AI to re-crunch data from existing Apple Watches and detect conditions such as pregnancy, using behavioural signals alone.

Expect to see more information surface about the new glucose monitoring in the coming months.

The Garmin Vivosmart 5 fitness tracker is currently 13% off at Amazon, selling for only £112.54 (RRP £129.99).

[via GadgetsandWearables]