If you suffer from Diabetes, you know how much hassle it can be to test your insulin levels. Dexcom aims to make life much easier with the help of the Dexcom G6, which is scheduled to launch this year.
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The Dexcom G6
In the “old days,” you would have to prick your finger for a blood sample, put it onto a test strip then use another device to get your reading. The G6 aims to get rid of needing to prick your fingers at all.
Instead, the G6 is a new system that features a “one-touch auto-applicator, and sleek, discreet transmitter.” Once the sample is taken, the glucose readings will be sent to a smart device (i.e., a smartphone).
The G6 can also take advantage of customizable alerts and alarms when your levels are changing. Additionally, the glucose readings will continue to be accurate, even if you take Acetaminophen.
Then there is the Dexcom CLARITY system, which tracks your glucose over time. This allows you to see trends and patterns, then share the information with your doctor.
In March, the FDA authorized this latest system, which can be used with patients ages two and up. However, we are still waiting to see the G6 made available for more and more users.
In 2015, DexCom partnered with Verily, a health-focused subsidiary of Alphabet. The companies have been working together, and the G6 will be the first product to be released from this partnership.
Dime-sized Version
What is more impressive is the fact that although the G6 is slated to launch this year, there is already another version in the pipeline. It is said that the next version of the G6 will be launched sometime in 2021.
This upcoming version of the G6 is a “tiny dime-sized CGM that requires no calibration.” Furthermore, the technology will also be marketed to type-1 and type-2 diabetes patients.
There is some hope that the smaller version of the G6 could launch sooner. However, there is no way for Dexcom to truly tell whether it can speed up the developmental process just yet.