FDA approves smartphone blood-sugar monitor

WASHINGTON — With a newly approved device, diabetics can turn their smartphone into a blood glucose monitor. The Food and Drug Administration cleared South Korean company Philosys’ Gmate SMART blood sugar monitoring device for U.S. marketing on Aug. 15. The device plugs into the headphone Jack on iPhones and iPads and — using the company’s Gmate app — turns the phone or tablet into a blood sugar monitor. 

"This is an exciting time for Philosys as we continue our efforts to be a technology leader for the diabetes mobile monitoring arena,” Philosys SVP sales Mike Tickle said. “The Gmate SMART will give our customers TeleHealth capabilities with the accuracy and quality they deserve at a cost effective price.” 

The app can store blood glucose data over time and users can email it to physicians. Users can also categorize when in the day — before or after a meal, or after exercise — they monitor their blood sugar. The device is about the size of a quarter and doesn’t require any adapters or need to be paired through Bluetooth. The Gmate app is currently only available for iOS devices.