IbgstarBloodGlucoseMeter
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Sanofi-Aventis debuts iBGStar blood glucose meter for iPhone
It's not the first to announce a blood glucose meter that connects to an iPhone, but Sanofi-Aventis has just rolled out what's surely the most streamlined solution to date. Unlike the LifeScan Bluetooth glucose meter shown off during Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 preview event way back in March of last year, this one connects directly to your iPhone (or iPod touch), and it can even be kept permanently attached with the aid of a custom (and fairly stylish) case. Otherwise, it functions just as you'd expect, with it able to display all the basic info on the device itself (it can also be used without the iPhone), and a ton more info on the accompanying app. No word on availability just yet -- that still hinges on FDA clearance -- but the device is "expected" to run somewhere in the neighborhood of $80.
iPhone-connected blood glucose meter now closer to reality
TUAW received a tip this morning about something that could be immensely useful to the over 17.9 million people in the U.S., as well as millions in other countries, who have diabetes. Pharmaceutical company Sanofi Aventis has announced the iBGStar Blood Glucose Meter that connects directly to the iPhone or iPod touch. While the hardware and official app that will accompany the meter is not yet released, the app is based on the free Wavesense Diabetes Manager app now in the App Store. Sanofi Aventis is currently preparing the meter for submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and it is unlike the Johnson & Johnson concept displayed at the iPhone 3GS event in March of 2009. That device required a cable; the Sanofi Aventis glucose meter just plugs into the Dock Connector port on the iPhone, takes readings from a blood sample, and stores the information on the iPhone for analysis. The patient can email the data to a physician if he or she needs feedback on management of their condition. The patient uses a glucose test strip with a sample drop of blood, and the strip is read by inserting it into the slot (lower right of meter pictured at the right side). The results are displayed on both a small display on the meter as well as in the iPhone app. Since diabetes is responsible for 1 out of every 10 health care dollars spent in the U.S., better management of the disease could have a huge impact on health care spending.
