Afon Technology is pioneering advancements in diabetes care with its innovative device, Glucowear™, which is being developed as the world’s first non-invasive, real-time, continuous blood glucose monitor
Over recent years, advances in diabetes care have shifted the landscape dramatically, turning what was once a life-threatening condition into one that can be effectively managed. Innovations in technology have been central to this transformation, helping millions of people around the world live longer, healthier, and more independently.
Now pushing the boundaries even further, Afon Technology is set to redefine what’s possible in glucose monitoring. With its groundbreaking device, Glucowear™, the company is developing the world’s first non-invasive, real-time, continuous blood glucose monitor – a leap forward that promises to change daily life for people living with diabetes.
Glucowear™ is designed to be worn comfortably on the underside of the wrist, built right into a watchstrap. It connects easily to a smartphone via Bluetooth, giving users instant access to real-time glucose data. By using safe, low-power RF/microwave technology to monitor blood sugar levels, it removes the need for finger pricks, making diabetes management easier, more consistent, and less intrusive.
Evaluation in a non-clinical environment
Over the past few years, Afon Technology has proudly showcased its groundbreaking device at the Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD) International Conference. This esteemed annual event highlights cutting-edge innovations in diabetes care and management.
In research presented at the ATTD Conference in 2022, Afon Technology shared promising early data on Glucowear™. Uniquely, the study was conducted in non-clinical, real-world environments, reflecting everyday use rather than controlled lab conditions. GlucowearTM is positioned as a potential game-changer in diabetes management because it can measure glucose levels without breaking the skin.
Conducted on a small group of five volunteers over eight hours, the study aimed to assess performance in a realistic, non-clinical setting. Three of the volunteers did not have diabetes, and two were living with type 2 diabetes. Each wore Glucowear™ on their wrist alongside a FreeStyle Libre sensor for reference, with readings corrected by 15 minutes to account for the typical lag in interstitial glucose data.
Across multiple test days, a model was built and trained using data from each day and then used to estimate glucose levels on subsequent days. Despite the small sample size and the challenges posed by uncontrolled conditions such as normal daily activity and meal consumption, the device achieved a Mean Absolute Relative Difference (MARD) of approximately 12%. This is a significant step forward for non-invasive glucose monitoring technology.
Glucowear™ operates using non-invasive glucose monitoring principles, analysing resonance shifts in an applied signal within the microwave spectrum. Improvements in the device’s hardware design contributed to a marked increase in performance over earlier prototypes, one of which had been presented at ATTD 2020 during a prior clinical trial. While data was not obtainable for two of the volunteers due to wrist size limitations, a total of 28 tests were completed. These promising results build on previous work and suggest that a microwave-based non-invasive blood glucose monitoring system may offer a viable path to accurate, real-time, non-invasive glucose monitoring.
Unlike current continuous glucose monitors, which require sensors to pierce the skin and are typically disposable, Glucowear™ offers the potential for continuous, needle-free monitoring in a wearable form factor. Though larger clinical trials are needed to validate these findings across a broader population, the results offer compelling evidence that non-invasive, real-time glucose monitoring could soon become a practical and reliable alternative to current systems.
Improvements in accuracy
At the 2023 ATTD Conference, Afon Technology once again presented promising developments on its wearable, non-invasive glucose monitor. Building on earlier proof-of-concept work, this study explored how blood glucose estimations can be enhanced by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) techniques with the core Glucowear™ microwave resonance-sensing technology.
Testing involved applying the Glucowear™ device to the wrists of people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The device automatically collected data by measuring these resonance shifts, which were then correlated with changes in venous blood glucose levels obtained through standard clinical methods. This approach allowed the researchers to evaluate the device’s ability to track glucose fluctuations in real time under typical conditions.
A major highlight of the study was the use of AI to dynamically adapt signal analysis over time, improving the device’s ability to match changing blood glucose levels. Despite being based on a limited dataset, the global AI model developed by Afon Technology achieved modest MARD values of 10.3% with moderate risk levels for users. This demonstrates that even with constrained data, AI can enhance accuracy by continuously refining glucose predictions.
The researchers anticipate that with additional data, improved normalisation techniques, and further optimisation of AI parameters. The accuracy of Glucowear™ will improve significantly, potentially reaching MARD levels comparable to those of existing minimally invasive continuous glucose monitors. This adaptability is critical given the challenges of non-invasive sensing, which must account for individual variability and environmental factors.
The study represents an important step toward delivering a truly non-invasive, real-time glucose monitoring solution. By combining advanced AI algorithms with innovative microwave sensing technology, Glucowear™ aims to provide a pain-free, convenient alternative to traditional continuous glucose monitors. As further clinical data is gathered, the potential for this device to transform diabetes management and improve quality of life becomes increasingly clear.
The road ahead
Afon Technology marks six years of dedicated innovation and continues to make significant strides toward bringing non-invasive glucose monitoring to reality – a breakthrough often described as the ‘ultimate goal’ in diabetes care. With each new achievement, the company moves closer to delivering a painless, user-friendly device designed to simplify daily glucose management for people living with diabetes.
