Abbott Expands From Glucose Monitors to Consumer Wearables

A company that specializes in medical wearables is trying to extend its reach into the consumer market. Abbott is best known for manufacturing continuous glucose monitors for people with diabetes, and is now looking to offer the same and other utilities to general consumers looking to improve their health.

To that end, the company has announced a new Lingo product line of wearable devices geared toward fitness and wellness enthusiasts. The first device in the new line will be the Lingo Keto, which measures ketones and will debut in Europe sometime in 2022.

According to Abbott, the Lingo line will be particularly appealing to those who are trying to manage their weight or improve their athletic performance. For example, the Lingo Keto will let someone know when they have entered a state of ketosis (and how long they stayed there) while dieting. Another device will measure lactate levels. Lactate builds up in the muscles during a workout, so measuring that can shed light on someone’s progress during training.

Tracking glucose can similarly help people who want to improve their energy levels, or who want to sleep better, lose weight, or think more clearly. Abbott has already released the Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biowearable iii for athletes in Europe, but wanted to track other signals to increase the utility and maximize the appeal of the Lingo platform.

Abbott suggested that future Lingo devices would be able to monitor someone’s blood alcohol level. The company introduced the new product line during a keynote presentation at CES.

The news reflects the growing interest in more advanced biometric monitors amongst the general public. A recent rumor suggested that a glucose monitor would appear in a future Apple Watch, while researchers in South Korea have developed smart contact lenses that can monitor glucose levels in someone’s tears.

Source: TechCrunch

–

January 10, 2022 – by Eric Weiss