From The News Wire: Shine a Light on Me - Optical CGM

Newton Photonics wins NSF grant for new glucose meter

The National Science Foundation has awarded a nearly half-million dollar grant to startup Newton Photonics Inc. to create a non-invasive optical sensor capable of
continuously monitoring a patient’s glucose levels.

The NSF made the $480,000 Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award on Nov. 3, explained the Newton-based company’s co-founder Shmuel Halevi. The firm specializes in making biophotonic sensors. The NSF cash will fund the company’s effort to create the glucose-monitoring instrument using proprietary Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technology.

Currently, no company has released to market a glucose monitor using OCT. Existing technologies from larger companies require the patient’s skin to be broken. “So far, there’s been a lot of talk, but there’s still no instrument like this in the market,” said Halevi. “The market is there waiting for it.”

However, Halevi noted that at least one other startup, GlucoLightCorp. of Bethlehem, Pa., is developing a similar product. He said Newton Photonics’ technology enables prolonged monitoring and eliminates the need for frequent calibration.

Don't get me wrong this could be cool, when it works and is for sale, but speaking as part of the market what we are waiting for is insurance coverage.