(Bloomberg) — DexCom Inc. won U.S. clearance for the first system of glucose-monitoring apps that can be used with mobile devices such as the iPhone to remotely track the health of a diabetic.
See also: 10 plans summarize diabetes benefits.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the green light to the Dexcom Share system, which transmits data from a small, wire-like sensor inserted just under the skin, according to a statement Friday from the agency. Photos show users taping the sensors to their stomachs. Other similar systems exist, but none has been cleared for sale by the agency since the FDA began regulating mobile medical applications as devices in 2013.
The subcutaneous sensor sends glucose levels continuously to a monitor that is worn externally, and the Dexcom Share system allows the information to be shared by the user. The app downloads the data for followers from a Web-based storage location, the FDA said.
"This innovative technology has been eagerly awaited by the diabetes community, especially caregivers of children with diabetes who want to monitor their glucose levels remotely," Alberto Gutierrez, director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in the statement.
