Freestyle Libre Users - Request for help

[NiVZ]

Hello,

I've got an idea I'd like to try using a smartwatch to read the data from a Freestyle Libre sensor, however the cost of the sensor is prohibitive for a proof of concept (£50 for sensor plus £50 for the official reader/activator).

I wondered if any of the Freestyle Libre users on here would mind posting me one of their "used" sensors to see if I can read the data off of it?

(I know the sensors only last 14 days, but apparently "regular" NFC readers can still read the information after this time)

Thanks in advance,

NiVZ

 

[Diabeticliberty]

I don't see how you are going to get this to work without being able to load the LibreLink Application to your device, in this case a smart watch. Data from the sensor is delivered to the reading device, in my case a Samsung Galaxy mobile and the LibreLink Application converts this into a readable format displayed in a graphical format. To my knowledge this is not available in a smart watch and I believe that without the application the watch will not even be able to see the sensor. Even if it could the sensor and reading device need to be tethered together within 60 minutes of the sensor being initialised. I think you will find that your idea will not work

 

[NiVZ]

Hello,

Thanks for replying, but there is already a 3rd party Android app called Glimp that can read the data from the sensor without using LibreLink (although it does say that the sensor must first be activated using an official Libre device or app)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.ct.glicemia

NightscoutOwl also have a project that doesn't use LibreLink
http://www.nightscout.info/wiki/welcome/nightscout-for-libre

There's a Libre Alarm app which can be connected to NightscoutOwl using the NFC of a Sony Smartwatch connected to the sensor:
https://plus.google.com/communities/118306966582165178782

And there's another project on GitHub attempting to read the data using only a regular NFC chip
https://github.com/vicktor/FreeStyleLibre-NFC-Reader

The 60 minute initialisation could be an issue though.

I'm planning to write my own app for the watch that will read the NFC tag data and do the conversion to turn it back into human readble BG values.

Thanks,

NiVZ

 

[Diabeticliberty]

I think Abbott write something into the software to prevent things the likes of which you are attempting. It is pure conjecture on my own part but perhaps part of the 60 minute tethering has some part to play in this. When you get people on their help desk talking when you start to attempt to steer the conversation onto such matter they steer the conversation away from it. Whether this is to keep their punters 'on topic' or away from asking awkward questions that they would rather not answer I do not know. I would be very interested to see how far you get with this. All credit to you for trying 😉

 

[NiVZ]

Thanks - my gut feeling is the 60 min initialise and 14 day limit are coded into their own reading software (and not the sensor) and they don't want people (like me) tinkering with unregistered devices and reading after 14 days, but that's IMHO.

The plan is to use a Pebble Smartwatch and the Seeed Rephone Xadow Smartstrap (which has NFC reader) to read the data.
Links here:
http://www.pebble.com
http://www.seeedstudio.com/wiki/Xadow_Pebble_Time_Adapter

And here's the mockup I made of what it *could* look like:
http://imgur.com/a/lL4R2

It's basically just to stop you having to carry the Freestyle reader with you, and more convenient and less obvious than putting your phone over your arm 😉

NiVZ

 

[Northerner]

Good luck with it NiVZ, I hope someone can help by supplying a used sensor 🙂 Although I have been a programmer for 35 years all this is totally beyond me! 😱 🙂

 

[NiVZ]

Thanks Northerner. Pushing my own boundaries, but I do like a challenge to keep the brain ticking 😉

 

[mikeyB]

Why do you imagine this is a problem? You've got to wave something over the sensor anyway, be it reader, phone or watch. I'd like to see it used when you are wearing the sensor on the same arm you wear your watch.

Anyway, I'm not giving up my Patek Philippe for a clunky smart watch, it's bad for the image.

Best of luck though, if you could get this licenced to Abbot you could make a tidy sum.

 

[Diabeticliberty]

If you message me your address, I will,send you the one I'm currently wearing as soon as it goes off to Libre Heaven. This should be in about 5 days 🙂

 

[NiVZ]

That would be great thanks. Will send you a message 🙂

 

[Diabeticliberty]

Got your details through. I will send it over as soon as it dies

 

[DeusXM]

Glimp already can read after the 14 day mark, but in my experience the accuracy drops off a cliff after about 12 hours beyond that limit - I was starting to get major discrepancies between the Libre readings and real blood ones of 5-6mmol/l error.

I don't fully know about app development but I'm not sure why you would need a sensor for your project. Surely the simplest and most obvious thing to would be to port one of the existing reader apps to the smart watch, rather than reinventing the wheel?

 

[Sally71]

I have no idea whether what you are suggesting can possibly work, but I have no problem sending you a used sensor to try it out with, after all it won't be any use to us any more! We have about 11 days to go on the current one so if you don't mind waiting that long and still want one then please PM me your address. We're on holiday at the moment but should be home before we need to change sensors!