The iPhone integration dreams of many a diabetic are coming true at last!!
Sanofi-Aventis made history today at the annual EASD (European Association for the Study of Diabetes) conference, if you ask me. They have introduced the first-ever medical device that actually physically plugs into the iPhone and iPod Touch! It’s a tiny new USB-sized glucose meter they’re calling iBGStar. It’s coupled with the new iBGStar Diabetes Manager program, a free logging app that users will be able to download from the iTunes store when the new product hits the market around January or February of 2011.
According to the press release, “The ultra-compact iBGStarTM can be plugged into an iPhone® or iPod touch® and displays results on a full-color, touch screen. It can also be used separately for on-the-go testing.”
Here’s a first look:
iBGStar = plug-in glucose meter for iPhones
iBGStar glucose meter (on its own)
iBGStar glucose meter with test strip
iBGStar was developed for Sanofi by my friends at AgaMatrix, who introduced the first BG meter with a cable plug-in to Apple products not long ago.
Note that the iBGStar still requires FDA 510(k) clearance in the US, and has not yet been submitted. The Powers That Be tell me they’ve worked to pave the way to quick FDA clearance by designing iBGStar “to make it a completely stand-alone meter that works even better when plugged into an iPhone or iPod Touch.”
As a stand-alone, the little meter has its own color display screen, its own battery, a 300-test memory, “and is perfectly usable on its own as a very small and discreet meter.” In other words, it works very similarly to current glucose meters, except that the iPhone/iTouch “download cable” technology is built into the meter. The magic for users is in the ability to couple your BG meter with your phone, of course. There will even be new iPhone cases designed to encompass the phone + meter duo!
iPhone + iBGStar wearing its custom black case
The accompanying D-management app (“iBGStar Diabetes Manager”) looks and feels a whole lot like AgaMatrix’s current WaveSense app for the iPhone, they tell me. It works pretty much like traditional logging software for PCs — the interaction between the meter and software is the same — “but the level of utility is greater when its attached to an iPhone.” (!)
iBGStar will be available for purchase directly from Sanofi. Pricing is still TBD, but is expected to be in the $8o range, according to some industry observers.
The cases will most likely be “promotional incentives” for early purchasers, and will later be sold as retail items through “traditional channels,” with pricing comparable to other Apple accessories, I am told.
More, according to the press release: “The specially-designed and simple iBGStar Diabetes Manager App will allow data to be easily managed and communicated to healthcare professionals…
“These products open up new possibilities for patients to record, understand, and act on their diabetes data, as well as for healthcare professionals (HCP’s) to further educate their patients about diabetes management. Patients can now enter and review results with color coding, see graphs with results noted for follow up, and utilize email connectivity to simplify communication with HCP’s or caregivers.”
And I guess it’s not just press-release fluff; world-famous endocrinologist and pump expert Dr. Bruce Bode of Atlanta Diabetes Associates provided me with this statement about the iBGStar launch:
“Many diabetes products have become so advanced and complicated that people have a hard time keeping up and making the technology relevant for their lives. But the iBGStar is really something else… I have never seen such an incredible device in my 25 years as an diabetologist.”
“The user experience is so rich and just amazingly simple. When you look at the iBGStar, you just know what to do with it – plug it into the iPhone, stick a strip in, and test! Amazing! The potential for this connectivity to the healthcare providers, family members, and smart software systems will change how we manage diabetes in the future. Sanofi-Aventis really knows how to enter this space with style.”
— Dr. Bruce Bode, MD,
endocrinologist & expert on insulin delivery and glucose sensing
KABLOOM!
(I just felt like saying that) I for one am really excited to see the industry knocking down FDA walls to integration of consumer and medical products.
You could say this launch opens up a new chapter in the evolution of smart, connected personal devices: they are no longer useful only for basic communication and “infotainment,” but are now turning into mission-critical health devices — with this product being the first major proof-point available.
You could say that. Or you could say that the two Northwestern graduate students who won the 2009 DiabetesMine Design Challenge were true visionaries, with their LifeCase/LifeApp system for the iPhone.
At least we know the industry is listening! As per Sanofi’s press release: “The iBGStar system has been designed by listening to the needs and desires of people with diabetes.” {grin}
And furthermore: “iBGStar is based on the patented Dynamic Electrochemistry® technology ensuring accurate and reliable blood glucose readings and both devices do not require coding. BGStar (iPhone app) has various feedback features including alerts, programmable reminder alarms and positive feedback to indicate what the results mean. A large, backlit display allows results to be quickly and easily viewed, managed and discussed. In addition, the BGStar product range offers users access to a full service telephone hotline and other support services so people with diabetes can feel more confident to take charge of their lives.”
Support services = always welcome!
… because fancy gadgets alone are naturally not the only thing we need to ‘take charge of our diabetic lives.’
But I’ll still be the first in line to try out this cool new “plug-in” meter for the iPhone. One more inventive way to make use of the extremely useful little communication device that’s always by my side anyway… and potentially one less piece of medical gear we need to carry and manage separately!
I am so very excited about this. It’s almost exactly what I asked the Internet for on my weblog a couple weeks ago. Wow! That was fast.
Thx for posting that so promptly. Might have missed it otherwise.
And yes. KABLOOM!
Hope they don’t mess it up.
Absolutely brilliant!
[...] glucose meter they’re calling iBGStar. You can read more about the iBGStar over at DiabetesMine. So what if you are not the lucky recipient of a iPhone or any other device that this product is [...]
Why?
I have a meter and a phone, and this is nothing more than that. Tuff to get excited about this “innovation”. Come on, isn’t everyone tired of these money milking advancements that provide no life improvements for the diabetic cash cows… us.
This is a great idea, and with the integrated case, it’s really an elegant design. Now, get it to talk to CareLink and my daughter’s Revel, and we’re really talking.
I will buy one of these on the first day they are approved and available to go with my daughter’s iPhone. Then I can hopefully see her BGs even though she’s away at college.
Thanks Amy!
Kabloom is right!
I hope that one can create an account and that results from two different iPhones can be integrated together. This isn’t an issue so much for adult patients, but for parents of children with diabetes who may be testing with two different phones.
As a stand alone, the placement of the test strip seems a little akward, but when connected to the iPhone it makes sense.
I assume that when used alone, it uploads data to the iPhone once it’s connected. I also assume that you can e-mail the results, hopefully in a usable file format (maybe excel).
To reply to Steve in the comments above, here’s the deal: we are a Mac family (2 iPhones, 1 Touch, 1 iMac, 1 MacBook). One of the biggest hurtles for us is getting data off of glucose meters and onto a computer in a meaningful way…and I don’t mean writing it down in logbooks with paper and pen and typing it bleary-eyed into excel like I do now. Integration of blood glucose meters (and hopefully pumps) with Macs would simplify diabetes care for Mac users.
Amy, I definitely want to give this a try. (Then the question will be insurance coverage and of course I like using the meter connected to the OmniPod PDM, but those are other issues.)
Another gimmicky device.
There is bluetooth on these mobiles. Use it. It’s there for a reason.
Whoo hoo!
Take note, J&J/Animas/OneTouch/Dexcom…. integration, please!!! I know you can fit all your software onto my iPhone. Let me wear a pump and carry my phone; it’ll be like I have nothing to drag around with me anymore.
Leighann: Animas’ EZ Manager Max software works on the Mac now and is really good. It takes care of pump and meter downloads, but DexCom is in the dark ages, requiring Windows and Microsoft Word.
I just wept for joy! This is awesome!
[...] iPhone, Sanofi-Aventis, Wavesense Diabetes Manager, WavesenseDiabetesManager SourcePrint thisEmail [...]
awesome!
This is an awesome idea! After all, you can do all kinds of tasks with a cell phone from sending emails to switching your house lights on when you’re out……why not have a blood glucose monitor?!?
One of the more useful aspects me thinks
[...] For more read this article in MedGadget For more read this article on TUAW Read this report over at DiabetesMine [...]
I need to get my diabetic dad to get the iPhone first, but a very nice tool.
Finally the first Iphone app and accessory that makes sence… I cannot wait. I hope it really works! And they dont price it out of reach
I LOVE this! I love the opportunities for emailing HCP- or even between family members or between school and parent for CWD’s. I also like being able to view information quickly- I know we don’t upload the meter but once every few weeks/months. Of course, I do love being able to bolus using our Ping remote…. So that’s a downside. But maybe soon??? I would LOVE to try this for my daughter! I’ll be waiting in line (and hoping it’s not too expensive!!)
Finally!
It looks like this company is really going to make it happen.
I’m truly excited about this. If it comes available in the Netherlands I’ll definitely be buying it.
[...] Dies berichtet das Technologieweblog engadget german unter Berufung auf die Webseite “diabetesmine.com“. Heissen tut das Gerät “iBGStar™” und ausschauen tut es [...]
I really can’t wait for the meter to be available!! To me, having a meter attached right to my iPhone would be awesome. One less thing to lug around, one less thing to keep track of, etc. And having my results go directly into a logging app is a huge time saver, IMO.
[...] enthusiastic overview from DiabetesMine says: “You could say this launch opens up a new chapter in the evolution of smart, connected [...]
[...] on the go, record notes, and send information to their healthcare providers via a free iPhone App. According to Diabetes Mine, the iBGStar does not yet have FDA 510k clearance, but it is likely to come to market in January or [...]
Now, if they can integrate that app with a wireless pump, diabetics will have exactly 0 extras to carry around with them! What a day that will be!!
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[...] You can read a more detailed description on Diabetes Mine. [...]
All right, Animas: step up to the plate here. If you can come up with something like this that will work with the Ping, I will happily give my daughter my iPod Touch. Bonus points if it integrates with a CGM.
[...] Everyday, I just become more and more amazed at what this platform can do. Case in point: Checking blood glucose levels.It’s a key procedure for diabetics, who need to monitor their blood sugar on an ongoing basis. There are a wealth of gadgets out there that can do this, and there are even some other iPhone-oriented accessories that do the job as well (like that LifeScan Bluetooth meter that Apple featured at last year’s iOS 3 preview). But when it comes to something you have to do all the time, you want something compact, streamlined and simple.Sanofi-Aventis has just the thing.Just attach this tiny little removable doohickey to the iPhone or iPod Touch (or leave it on all the time. There’s a custom case for this that’s surprisingly not ugly). The accessory features a small display that shows basic info (which usable as a standalone, without the phone), but there’s also a companion app, if you want to see a lot more data on the handset.Best part? When this gets approved by the FDA, there won’t be sticker shock — the cost will be roughly $80 (akin to the price of a top-line battery charger).If you or someone you know is a diabetic iPhone user, you may want to keep close tabs on this at Sanofi-Aventis online. (Click here to go there.)Via: Engadget, Diabetes Mine [...]
Great concept. Now it also needs to be available for the Android phones, at least as large a market as the iPhones.
[...] It works with included software to provide a variety of important health information for diabetics, Diabetes Mine reported Sept. [...]
Fabulous idea. As Jeff says, this needs to be available on every type of media whether Android or iPhone
[...] Read – Diabetes Mine Read – Sanofi-Aventis [...]
[...] 80 美元附近，也就是人民币 536 元左右。 Read – Diabetes Mine Read – [...]
It is good to finally see technology providing genuine benefits rather than just for leisure. These advancements can help so many.
[...] [via Diabetes Mine] [...]
Why only on the iPhone? There are more Android phones out there than iPhones. Seems to me they’re going to miss a large segment of the market.
I don’t know if it is quite as slick as this one (which is pretty amazing), but I think there is already a BGM available that plugs into a blackberry. Anyone know anything about this?
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That’s a very cool product! A lot of companies have iPhone apps to do several diabetes tasks too. I was looking at one of them (Pancreum – http://www.pancreum.com) and really liked the few simple diabetes apps they have at the App Store.
I find this amusing. My husband, a Type 1 since age 13, STILL uses his Handspring PDA with a FreeStyle Tracker. Get this, it was introduced 8 years ago – it’s a meter that plugs into a PDA! How… retro? And it still works great. And we’ve wondered ever since why PDAs don’t offer plug-in devices. He still uses his Handspring as a phone, meter, GPS device, and camera. Seriously. you can view images of it at http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/d_0i_281.htm. Too bad Handspring went under, oh, about 7 years ago. They were clearly ahead of their times.
Hopefully they will make this for othersmatphone lke a Droid x. iPhones are notthe only game in town.
Maybe I’m not understanding this concept? Really, what benefit add does a person have to gain by track’g their blood glucose into their phones? Another device to manage besides your pump, cgms, injections, etc? Really, doesn’t it matter what your A1C’s say in the end? What would be ideal is that one device that is talks to a reciever (phone or other), of which is mobile, compatible with MAC or PC. That device is a pump, cgms and a blood glucose reader. Why would anyone spend more money on this item? Until then, if you truly want something that will record all your readings and is compatible to MAC and PC’s, then I suggest the Bayer USB Meter.
@patty This would be fantastic for parents that want to monitor their child’s BG readings when they are at camp, school, sports, a friend’s house, etc. Imagine getting a SMS message that your child is at 40 when they test themselves before going to bed at a sleepover — or being able to sleep peacefully yourself because they were 120. Integration with the iPhone (or other phone) would be simply awesome.
[...] via DiabetesMine via [...]
[...] very fortunate — and geekishly thrilled! — to be the first U.S. diabetic to review the new iBGStar, glucose meter and logging app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Yup, it’s that meter that plugs right into an iPhone! And nope, it’s not FDA approved or [...]
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