If Google’s most recent move into the medical devices business was missed by the media, it’s only because other exciting news received the main stage. But even though the search giant’s revamping under the umbrella of Alphabet is big news, it’s worth noticing the new partnership they signed with DexCom.
The announcement mentioned the result of the collaboration will be a new form of continuous glucose monitoring devices (or CGMs) that will offer patients a less expensive alternative to the option that are currently out there.
A band aid-sized device is certainly in line with what Andrew Conrad, director of Google’s life sciences, has in mind for the department. He said in a press release that Google is dedicated to discovering and inventing technologies that will advance healthcare, changing the reactive stance to proactive.
According to Conrad, this partnership is set to further the expansion of tracking methods, because dealing with diabetes should mostly have to do with managing one’s health proactively.
The collaboration puts together Google’s miniaturized electronics system with DexCom’s advanced sensor technology. The end result would come in the form of a monitoring device the size of a bandage equipped with a sensor and a direct connection to the cloud.
During his explanation about the revamping of Google, CEO Larry Page also highlighted the importance of the department of Life Sciences. In the same news category, reports revealed the Life Science program will no longer be a part of Google X – the experiment department – but will become a standalone company led by Conrad under Alphabet’s umbrella.
DexCom is one respected member of the medical devices industry, and Google’s choice of partnership only goes to show how serious the tech giant is about advancing the inroads into healthcare. Experts are encouraged by this partnership, as it promises to innovate diabetes care, offering a good platform for further development of new technology.
Dealing with diabetes is a full-time job for sufferers and caretakers alike, and any kind of devices or tools that would make that management easier are a plus.
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