BG measuring smartwatch

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alelcoate

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
An email sent to support@accordancen.com re a smart watch bought online with supposed non-invasive blood sugar measurement

mail


I received this yesterday, charged the internal battery and then used it and compared the results to my other monitoring equipment (Accucheck mobile for blood glucose/Omron M3 for Blood pressure plus a oximeter for %Oxygen and pulse)

Readings from the watch were within 5% of the readings from my medical equipment EXCEPT for the Blood Sugar readings which were nothing like the real readings.

e.g. Watch 6.01 Meter 9.10; Watch 6.86 Meter 4.9

As I purchased this mainly for Blood sugar monitoring I find it unsuited for purpose and wish to return it for a refund.

I have a significant number of diabetic friends who are interested in my findings with this device.

Despite sending a video (requested) comparing the watch with my Accucheck meter The firm will not refund me saying
We are so sorry for your dissatisfaction.
But as our shipment department checked, the item you received is correct.

Also sent them this info.

I used this 4 times and each time took a blood glucose meter reading at the same time.
Each time the watch gave a reading between 6.00 & 6.90 despite real readings varying between 3.4 & 9.1
Watch Meter
6.01 9.10 after a meal
6.86 4.90 before a meal
6.60 9.10 after a meal
6.20 3.40 Before a meal

A warning to others NOT to buy one of these
Alan Elcoate
 
Welcome to the forum @alelcoate and thank you for your warning post, I had been looking at these for some time now
and had considered trying one myself but had resisted the temptation, just couldn't see how they could possibly work.

When Apple comes up with one I just might consider it again. Enjoy the forum.
 
alelcoate said:
Readings from the watch were within 5% of the readings from my medical equipment EXCEPT for the Blood Sugar readings which were nothing like the real readings.
Click to expand...
There are YouTube videos reviewing these (not from the perspective of people with diabetes using them) and the general opinion seems to be that they're not actually measuring BG in any real way. When used by people without diabetes they'll give readings which look plausible, but even those are probably useless for anything.
 
alelcoate said:
An email sent to support@accordancen.com re a smart watch bought online with supposed non-invasive blood sugar measurement

mail


I received this yesterday, charged the internal battery and then used it and compared the results to my other monitoring equipment (Accucheck mobile for blood glucose/Omron M3 for Blood pressure plus a oximeter for %Oxygen and pulse)

Readings from the watch were within 5% of the readings from my medical equipment EXCEPT for the Blood Sugar readings which were nothing like the real readings.

e.g. Watch 6.01 Meter 9.10; Watch 6.86 Meter 4.9

As I purchased this mainly for Blood sugar monitoring I find it unsuited for purpose and wish to return it for a refund.

I have a significant number of diabetic friends who are interested in my findings with this device.

Despite sending a video (requested) comparing the watch with my Accucheck meter The firm will not refund me saying
We are so sorry for your dissatisfaction.
But as our shipment department checked, the item you received is correct.

Also sent them this info.

I used this 4 times and each time took a blood glucose meter reading at the same time.
Each time the watch gave a reading between 6.00 & 6.90 despite real readings varying between 3.4 & 9.1
Watch Meter
6.01 9.10 after a meal
6.86 4.90 before a meal
6.60 9.10 after a meal
6.20 3.40 Before a meal

A warning to others NOT to buy one of these
Alan Elcoate
Click to expand...
Sounds like they are confirming you were sent the right item and that’s all. What country did you purchase this in? In the uk we have 14 days from receipt to return under distance spellings rules and 30 days for defective items no quibble. Then theres also an undefined length depending on the product regarding fit for purpose, reasonable lifespan etc. Lots of advice re consumer rights online eg citizens advice.

if it sounds too good to be true it usually is. And when apple, Google, Fitbit and all the diabetes tech manufacturers can’t achieve this yet it’s a bit much to believe some unknown cheap brand can.
 
Plus, if they pulled it off it would be all over here and the nhs would be stopping our libre/dexcom prescriptions
 
@alelcoate. Sorry that you had to find out the hard way that these things do not work when it comes to blood glucose measurement. I did a bit of checking around a little while ago in response to questions of forum members. I don't know if I looked at the one you bought but just about all of those I found had big headlines claiming miracles and small print pointing out that they are not medical devices and no reliance can be placed on the results they give. I strongly suspect that the same applies to the one you bought and the supplier is using the "you should have read the small print" defence. Unless you paid a lot of money its probably best to chalk it off to experience and take a little comfort from the fact by telling us about it you could well have stopped others falling into the same trap.

The biggest clue to the fact they are of little use is as pointed out by @Tdm
 
How are these things supposed to work? Dexcom and Libre have a thin filament sticking into your skin to be able to read sugar levels in your body. If the watch doesn’t then how can it possibly know? I’d be instantly suspicious.
Having said that, if the product information states it can do something then it should be able to do it. You shouldn’t have to read any small print to find out that it isn’t really doing what it says it is. Who’s that woman who has just gone to prison because her company was making products which claimed to do all sorts of magical medical things and then it was found that the technology never actually worked? Isn’t this a similar scenario?
 
Yes, they are guilty of exploiting hopes. That makes them lower than a snakes belly
 
Sally71 said:
How are these things supposed to work? Dexcom and Libre have a thin filament sticking into your skin to be able to read sugar levels in your body. If the watch doesn’t then how can it possibly know? I’d be instantly suspicious.
Having said that, if the product information states it can do something then it should be able to do it. You shouldn’t have to read any small print to find out that it isn’t really doing what it says it is. Who’s that woman who has just gone to prison because her company was making products which claimed to do all sorts of magical medical things and then it was found that the technology never actually worked? Isn’t this a similar scenario?
Click to expand...

Hello, from what I’ve seen. Some sort of “mass spectrometer” reading glucose in sweat? Assuming you sweat constantly. Maybe?? One I saw seemed to have its own “sweat values.”

Then according the explanation on another watch, “ uses high-frequency microwaves to monitor blood glucose levels and send the data to a companion app on a smartwatch or smartphone.”

They may as well be suggesting “reverse the polarity flow using dilithium crystals on a collapsed wormhole.”

The advert for the watch @alecoate posted has an interesting use of the term, “real dynamic state.”
Indicating the information can change at any time. Sounds like they are not wrong regarding the information given on this product. It’s likely to throw “anything” at you as a reading.
 
Satan’s little helper said:
Then according the explanation on another watch, “ uses high-frequency microwaves to monitor blood glucose levels and send the data to a companion app on a smartwatch or smartphone.”
Click to expand...
That's my understanding. They measure reflected light (and other EM radiation) which somehow varies depending on BG. And (they think) they can combine such readings in some way to get BG to some useful accuracy. It all feels like if you were to do it really carefully for an individual (comparing against real BG values) you might be able to produce useful values, maybe.

But doing it all in the size of a watch, useful for anyone who wants one (without a lengthy calibration) seems rather implausible. (And doing it for the cost of these watches is surely nonsense.)

I suspect some of the reviews on YouTube are right: they're measuring something, but basically inventing graphs which look plausible enough for people without diabetes (so making it basically flat overnight (with a bit of variation), making it go up a bit when you're inactive and fall a bit when it detects exercise (they're all also measuring movement for that kind of thing).

But for us they're no better than a similar watch/fitbit-type thing that doesn't pretend to give BG. And probably uglier and not as good at measuring the other things.
 
The way some of them work is by applying an electric current which draws intestinal fluid out of the skin which is then measured with a biosensor. There do seem to be lots of groups working to develop them and have been doing so for almost 20 years.
 
Leadinglights said:
The way some of them work is by applying an electric current which draws intestinal fluid out of the skin which is then measured with a biosensor.
Click to expand...
Yes, there are some of those which do feel plausible, but they also seem likely to end up (according to news stories about them) about the same price as Libre (since the biosensor needs replacing regularly) so who cares?
 
Bruce Stephens said:
That's my understanding. They measure reflected light (and other EM radiation) which somehow varies depending on BG. And (they think) they can combine such readings in some way to get BG to some useful accuracy. It all feels like if you were to do it really carefully for an individual (comparing against real BG values) you might be able to produce useful values, maybe.

But doing it all in the size of a watch, useful for anyone who wants one (without a lengthy calibration) seems rather implausible. (And doing it for the cost of these watches is surely nonsense.)

I suspect some of the reviews on YouTube are right: they're measuring something, but basically inventing graphs which look plausible enough for people without diabetes (so making it basically flat overnight (with a bit of variation), making it go up a bit when you're inactive and fall a bit when it detects exercise (they're all also measuring movement for that kind of thing).

But for us they're no better than a similar watch/fitbit-type thing that doesn't pretend to give BG. And probably uglier and not as good at measuring the other things.
Click to expand...
I think a reliable smartwatch receiving data from a third party app pulling the info from a sensor is where we are at right now.

One BG sensor watch I looked at needed some sort of “pad” where it sits on the wrist that needed changing? So it wasn’t even a “one off payment for the watch. There was a consumable, too?

Regarding the price range of these devices. Which is probably OK if you want to tell the time.
I can’t help the feeling these companies are doing this. “It don’t cost any more tha 40 pence to make.”

 
Satan’s little helper said:
One BG sensor watch I looked at needed some sort of “pad” where it sits on the wrist that needed changing? So it wasn’t even a “one off payment for the watch. There was a consumable, too?
Click to expand...
Yes, and maybe there's a market for that kind of thing. It just doesn't feel like a big win for most people with diabetes (we're usually going to be OK just wearing a sensor). I can imagine it being attractive to people interested in sports of some kind (those that believe that monitoring BG is valuable, which feels dubious to me).
 
Bruce Stephens said:
Yes, and maybe there's a market for that kind of thing. It just doesn't feel like a big win for most people with diabetes (we're usually going to be OK just wearing a sensor). I can imagine it being attractive to people interested in sports of some kind (those that believe that monitoring BG is valuable, which feels dubious to me).
Click to expand...
The “market” I believe. Are “bio hackers.” Lol, I see them trying to make sense of Libres regarding “refuelling” during sporting activities?

It’s not something tangible right now for “plate spinners” like us. I still fall back on my meter to put readings in perspective. (I can calibrate the app I use.)
 
Satan’s little helper said:
The “market” I believe. Are “bio hackers.” Lol, I see them trying to make sense of Libres regarding “refuelling” during sporting activities?
Click to expand...
Yes, I think so. And Abbott sells Libre 2 sensors (quite possibly modified somehow) for this purpose (I think with the software providing rtCGM functionality which they don't offer to us). (It's possible that there are separate companies doing that, but I think they're owned by Abbott.)
 
Bruce Stephens said:
Yes, I think so. And Abbott sells Libre 2 sensors (quite possibly modified somehow) for this purpose (I think with the software providing rtCGM functionality which they don't offer to us). (It's possible that there are separate companies doing that, but I think they're owned by Abbott.)
Click to expand...
Though I would agree. I don’t think they are “modified.” Just a black patch protector around the basic Libre unit? (For the bio hackers.) only from what I’ve seen. (A protector for the active. Wouldn’t want it falling off on a self fund??) Looks like even Abbott is cynically expanding the market beyond diabetics. Seeing a scope for bio hackers “fuelling.”

Just to add, I like the product as a T1.
 
Bruce Stephens said:
Could be. That would be cheaper. I was imagining they might get some which are slightly out of spec but good enough for non-medical use and offer those.
Click to expand...
What I’ve seen regarding Libres for the bio hacker market. Is it comes with a “sports patch” surrounding the sensor like an old 45 record? & the app is centred around fitness & calories consumed & burned?

Forgot the name of the re brand. But just found it for you.

 
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