Nemaura Medical, a UK firm, won the CE Mark of approval for its latest SugarBEAT continuous glucose monitor. The device consists of a disposable patch and a rechargeable transmitter. The patch is applied directly to the skin and the transmitter is placed over the patch. There are no needles anywhere within the SugarBEAT, even hidden ones, so the device is essentially pain-free to use.

Unlike some other continuous glucometers that require the user to place a special reader over them, the SugarBEAT communicates directly with the patient’s smartphone. This happens every five minutes, providing diabetic patients with an almost real-time look at their sugar levels.

The patch can be placed at different places on the body, including arms, legs, or abdomen. It does require a traditional finger prick blood test every so-often to calibrate it.

The SugarBEAT provides automatic predictive alerts that give the user obvious and timely warnings when glucose levels are outside of normal bounds. These include audio alarms and phone vibrations to alert the user when levels are becoming dangerous.

The electronic sensor gathers readings and passes them to the smartphone or SugarBEAT reader. From there, the results can be shared with one’s doctor, family members, or caretakers.