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Apple Has a Secret Team Working On Non-Invasive Diabetes Sensors (cnbc.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the top-secret dept.

schwit1 quotes a report from CNBC: Apple has hired a small team of biomedical engineers to work at a nondescript office in Palo Alto, miles from corporate headquarters. They are part of a super secret initiative, initially envisioned by the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, to develop sensors that can non-invasively and continuously monitor blood sugar levels to better treat diabetes, according to three people familiar with the matter. Such a breakthrough would be a "holy grail" for life sciences. Many life sciences companies have tried and failed, as it's highly challenging to track glucose levels accurately without piercing the skin. The initiative is far enough along that Apple has been conducting feasibility trials at clinical sites across the Bay Area and has hired consultants to help it figure out the regulatory pathways, the people said.

schwit1 adds: "From a business aspect, the most interesting part of this venture might be how Apple combines its penchant for secrecy with maneuvering through those regulatory pathways. It's one thing to introduce another new bit of consumer electronics kit. It's an entirely other thing to get a medical device past the FDA."

52 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. What about the delivery of insulin? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    One would either have to have a pump installed, which pierces the skin, or give themselves injections. In actuality, this does nothing for type 1 patients. Holy Grail, I think not.

    1. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by corychristison · · Score: 2

      No kidding.

      We already have CGMs that are getting less and less invasive already.

      My son is 7, diagnosed T1D about a year and a half ago.

      How about we work towards a cure instead of blowing money on problems that have already been solved?

    2. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by sexconker · · Score: 1

      Even if this monitored blood sugar and delivered insulin via SMS and fairy farts, it wouldn't bee the holy grail.
      The holy grail would be fewer people with diabetes.

    3. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You have to separate Type 2 diabetes (which is insulin resistance, and 20 times more common) and Type 1 diabetes (which is usually an auto-immune problem that destroys all insulin producing cells). The "cure" for most Type 2 diabetes is weight loss, exercise, and diet. Many cases require medication: many of those are fat Americans. I don't blame them for winding up that way: insulin resistance is the basic problem, so early onset Type 2 diabetics wind up with very high insulin levels, which causes hunger, and the rising blood sugars can cause lethargy, which is a nasty feedback loop, and makes weight gain a *symptom* of Type 2, not a necessarily a *cause* of Type 2. So I'm not fat shaming here. But I'm saying "you can save a lot of money on glucose test strips by not spending money on Twinkies".

      For Type 1 cures, check out http://www.faustmanlab.org/research/BCGTrials.html . The results are very promising.

    4. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by Junta · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well at least it would mean not having to burn through lancets and strips. If a monitor that did not consume test scripts cost 300 dollars and lasted at least six months, it would have paid for itself in test strips alone.

      For at least some type IIs controlling with medication, having continuous monitoring may help them when they over medicate and give them some heads up when their sugar is crashing.

      Of course, healthy skepticism about Apple actually pulling it off, but it's far from the worst thing Apple could do.

      --
      XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
    5. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by willy_me · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If what they say is true, this monitor would be in the form of a watch (or something similar) and be able to monitor blood sugar levels automatically. The user would then be alerted in the event they need to take action. Alerts would be provided immediately and not depend on an individual having to test themselves. Solves the problem of people forgetting to take their insulin. This differs from current CGMs and could legitimately be called an advancement - if it ever works.

    6. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by corychristison · · Score: 1

      If what they say is true, this monitor would be in the form of a watch (or something similar) and be able to monitor blood sugar levels automatically. The user would then be alerted in the event they need to take action.

      You just described a current generation CGM. Most of them even have bluetooth that can connect to a smart phone or smart watch.

      As I stated, this problem has already been solved!

    7. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by Sooner+Boomer · · Score: 1

      The holy grail would be for people to stop eating so much damn sugar.

      And people would be beautiful if they weren't so dam' ugly. Sorry, but some of us are just born this way.

      --
      Chaos maximizes locally around me.
    8. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by damnbunni · · Score: 2

      The problem with current-generation CGM is that they require expensive consumables that a lot of insurance doesn't cover.

      If they could get a sensor working without penetrating the skin, without requiring supplies that get used up, that would be a massive boon, even if the sensor cost a few grand.

    9. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by Sooner+Boomer · · Score: 1

      One would either have to have a pump installed, which pierces the skin, or give themselves injections. In actuality, this does nothing for type 1 patients. Holy Grail, I think not.

      Maybe not a Holy Grail. I try to control my blood sugar with pills rather than injections. Knowing what it is at any given moment would help me make better choices in food. Plus warm me if I mess up and actually do need an injection (and how well the injection is working).

      --
      Chaos maximizes locally around me.
    10. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      If what they say is true, this monitor would be in the form of a watch (or something similar) and be able to monitor blood sugar levels automatically. The user would then be alerted in the event they need to take action.

      You just described a current generation CGM. Most of them even have bluetooth that can connect to a smart phone or smart watch.

      As I stated, this problem has already been solved!

      But aren't there serious limitations on range of measurement and ( IIRC) temperature issues?

      So, I don't think this is as "solved" as you think.

    11. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      Sorry, but some of us are just born this way.

      Yes, some, but let's not forget the millions of others who can easily prevent it by quitting the damn sugars.

    12. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by advocate_one · · Score: 1

      there is, I believe, some research being done to detect sugar in your tears. A device to scan your eyes and analyse the light bouncing off them

      --
      Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
    13. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by havana9 · · Score: 1

      Diabetes could not be esily be separated in type 1 and type 2, there are also less than common types, like LADA, that is a type 1 diabetes that starts in adults and the destruction of beta cells is slower than type 1 in child, or type various MODY types. Some research has found that people with type 1 and type 2 have common genetic components. Classic Type 2 diabetes could be controlled with weight control, exercise, and diet, and of course other types of diabetes are better controlled with the same method.
      Unfortunately the informations on correct dieting are a lot misleading, so people are thinking that the problem is sugar and not starches, so a "sane" potato mash or a rice casserole or "alfredo pasta" with margarine are really a bad choiche regarding the calorie and carbohydrate content. The fact that also not so sane foods like margarine or fructose arre advertised as "sane" doesn't help.

    14. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      Or you could get real and realize that people ARE spending billions of dollars on cures for both type I and type II DM. Just not Apple. Why doesn't Boeing do that? Or Hilton Hotels?

      Apple is really just one moderately large company in an enormous economy. They don't have to solve everybody's problems.

      Are there some issues about priorities in this world? Sure. Lots of them. But don't single out Apple or even the entire electronics industry.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    15. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      Contact lenses that monitor glucose. Being worked on by an Alphabet company whose name escapes me.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    16. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      Or you could get real and realize that people ARE spending billions of dollars on cures for both type I and type II DM

      90% of the people could be cured (or prevented from getting sick in the first place) using a better (low carb) diet, for a fraction of the cost. Of course, the problem is that you can't make billions in profit telling people to adopt a sensible diet.

      I agree that Apple has nothing to do with this, though.

    17. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Well at least it would mean not having to burn through lancets and strips. If a monitor that did not consume test scripts cost 300 dollars and lasted at least six months, it would have paid for itself in test strips alone.

      For at least some type IIs controlling with medication, having continuous monitoring may help them when they over medicate and give them some heads up when their sugar is crashing.

      Of course, healthy skepticism about Apple actually pulling it off, but it's far from the worst thing Apple could do.

      Ironically, the benefits you outlined here is the real problem Apple will face if it figures out a solution.

      In other words, reserve the healthy skepticism for getting a product approved that will disrupt a multi-billion dollar industry.

    18. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by known_coward_69 · · Score: 1

      i read of a study earlier this week that links diabetes to insecticides. specifically glyphosophonates or whatever Round Up and similar chemicals are made of. go buy some better food with no insecticides or other crap and see if it makes a difference

    19. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 1

      i read of a study earlier this week that links diabetes to insecticides

      Absolutely ZERO chance my diabetes has anything to do with insecticides.

      More a matter of my pancreas sitting in a jar of formaldehyde on the surgeon's desk....

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    20. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      You are buying the wrong strips.
      I'm paying $20 for 100 strips by looking online. and I usually get about 100 free lancets when I get them. I use the contour next usb, the data is 100% hackable so I simply plug it into the "charger" weekly and it downloads all the data into my linux server.

      I have friends that are paying more than $2.00 a strip and I ask why the hell. they always claim "mine is more accurate" yet when I test my blood with their meter and then my meter I am within 5 points which can be the range you get between multiple tests with the same meter. Hell even using a calibration control solution Mine is always within the range so close that it's not worth the fancy prices. but then these same people NEVER use a control solution when they open a new pack of strips, so their claims of accuracy are thrown out the window.

      Now the Piece of crap one that worked with my iphone? that one had special strips that cost more than $2.00 each and that thing was so far off it was insane.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    21. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      Well at least it would mean not having to burn through lancets and strips. If a monitor that did not consume test scripts cost 300 dollars and lasted at least six months, it would have paid for itself in test strips alone.

      For at least some type IIs controlling with medication, having continuous monitoring may help them when they over medicate and give them some heads up when their sugar is crashing.

      Of course, healthy skepticism about Apple actually pulling it off, but it's far from the worst thing Apple could do.

      Apple has a pretty fat war-chest, and may have some internal "motivation" (just guessing).

      But several groups have already come fairly close to the goal; so Apple only has to refine already-existing work, which they can likely make happen.

    22. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by Dissenter · · Score: 1

      We're talking about two completely different things. Type 2 diabetes, usually attributed to diet and, frankly, an often self-inflicted condition, is not what devices like this are designed for. Constant testing of glucose and dispensing of insulin is something needed by a Type 1 diabetic whose body does not create insulin and is far more difficult to manage. Most Type 2 diabetics can be treated by taking a pill a couple of times a day.

      Type 1 is a genetic disease and manifests itself completely independent of diet. My wife was diagnosed at 11 and has had almost every kind of CGM (continuous glucose monitor) that is available. We are extremely fortunate to have great insurance and a good enough income to be able to try may of the latest and greatest devices. I will tell you guys that NOTHING on the market today comes even close to this. Because ALL CGMs are subdermal, they have to be replaced every few days, with a new location, in order to minimize the risk of infection. They are insanely expensive, over time, since they are disposable devices. While I agree that money may be better spent on research for a permanent cure, the fact is that a large number of fatalities caused by this disease can be attributed to the challenges of maintenance. Even the subdermal CGMs we have today tell you to calibrate with a finger prick test a couple of times a day. They stick out from your body and get bumped causing, at minimum sharp pain, sometimes pulling away just enough that they start reporting bad data and at in worst cases, they will rip out of your skin making you bleed all over your shirt. They aren't a great solution. Continuous monitoring is far better than checking a few times a day because it creates a much more even level than the constant ups and downs that come with testing and injecting a few times a day. For a busy mom, like my wife, the challenge is to stay on top of all of this while staying on top of all of the other day to day stuff.

      IF, and I say that in all caps because this isn't the first time someone has tried to minimize the maintenance of treating this disease, IF they are able to come up with something like this that minimizes the need to carry around a glucometer, finger pricking device, test strips, alcohol pads, band-aids and all of the other junk that my wife has to remember to put in her purse every time she leaves the house, that alone is a really great way to help manage things.

      --

      Dissenter
      "There is no knowledge that is not power."

    23. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by Dissenter · · Score: 1

      Haven't seen any Type 2 diabetics that needed devices like this. They can usually take a pill a couple of times a day to solve their problem. This type of solution is for the genetic Type 1 diabetic whose body does not generate insulin, not for the person that ate a box of chocolates every day until their body couldn't properly process sugar and insulin. Please don't hate just because you are misinformed on the subject.

      --

      Dissenter
      "There is no knowledge that is not power."

    24. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by west · · Score: 1

      > Yes, some, but let's not forget the millions of others who can easily prevent it by quitting the damn sugars.

      Easily? I don't think that word means what you think it does. Almost by definition, if it was easy, they'd already be doing it.

      Or by easy, did you mean "restructure society and re-engineer human dopamine reward systems" type of easy? :-)

    25. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by Dissenter · · Score: 1

      This industry is also part of the problem. Because no one will establish an open standard for test strips and glucometers and no one will publish their communications protocols for communicating with the insulin pumps, folks like my wife are stuck having to buy the test strips that will work with the glucometer that is the only one available that can communicate with her pump. I, for one, am glad to see a company like Apple that embraces market disruption jumping into the mix. Even if they don't manage to figure this out, this might scare a little thought into the companies that are in this industry today.

      --

      Dissenter
      "There is no knowledge that is not power."

    26. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by west · · Score: 1

      Well, if there is anything Apple is good at, it's taking a bunch of "almost there" technologies, and turning them into something that hits the mark.

      Here's hoping they manage to do it again.

    27. Re:What about the delivery of insulin? by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      Well, if there is anything Apple is good at, it's taking a bunch of "almost there" technologies, and turning them into something that hits the mark.

      Here's hoping they manage to do it again.

      Agreed. As a Type II Diabetic, I REALLY have been waiting for a WORKING, non-invasive Glucose sensor. Building that into something like an Apple Watch is PERFECT, if they can make it work. Even if it's only accurate and repeatable to within 20 points or so, it would still be very useful.

    28. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by vossman77 · · Score: 1

      How about we work towards a cure instead of blowing money on problems that have already been solved?

      Apple has zero experience working in a wet lab. So, Apple puts money where it does have experience.
      Further, Curing biological diseases is hard. When Microsoft offered to debug cancer, Derek Lowe had this quote:

      Unfortunately the world of code and computational hardware, as important, useful, and lucrative as it is, is just a sandbox compared to the real physical universe, of which living creatures are just a tiny little part. But biology has no debugging programs, no annotations, no manuals. It wasn't written by humans -- in fact, as far as we know, it wasn't written by anyone at all, it "just grew" in a process that has no good counterpart to the ways that humans generally get things done.

      Which I think sums it up pretty well.

    29. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by Malachias · · Score: 1

      I wouldn't call the problem solved. My experience is that good monitoring is both problematic and essential. The effective use of test strips and glucometers requires discipline, something that children and teens are lacking, not to mention quite a few adults. As the balance of responsibility for monitoring shifts from parent to child, it becomes more of a challenge. Bluetooth monitors (e.g., dexcom) are minimally invasive, but you can't just take them on and off, which means they can limit one's activities. For example, despite following guidelines provided by the manufacturer, they still come off when swimming laps, which means no swim team or no bluetooth monitoring for several months -- no judgements, swimming is a pretty harsh environment for a medical device. Even so, when monitoring is a shared responsibility there is always the opportunity for conflict. Non-invasive, passive, and accurate monitoring does not solve compliance problems, but it does remove one of the barriers to compliance. It does not cure the disease, but it seems like an essential precursor for passive, automatic blood glucose maintenance. And sure, if it eliminates all those consumables and remains affordable, it reduces health care costs as well. No it's not the holy grail, but it remains a high risk endeavor that has merit and looks solvable. Curing the disease would have far greater benefit, but I assume that the risk of failure is staggeringly high. Not to mention, if a company builds hardware, they may begin their exploration of this market by building sensors they can pair with their hardware. They are not a pharmaceutical or medical device company. Curing the disease is in someone else's wheelhouse. The whole self-driving car problem is an interesting comparison.

    30. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by beastofburdon · · Score: 1

      Start a low carb diet for both of you, less than 50g a day should be enough, if not go lower. There is no essential nutrition to be found only in grains. If you do so, you will not need any medication to control blood sugar, and you and your son will be much healthier.

    31. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by corychristison · · Score: 2

      You're a fucking idiot. My son has an auto-immune disease, not because he eat too many carbs.

      Please learn the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. He's in perfect health, and always has been. Can't control when your body decides to kill off it's own insulin producing cells.

    32. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by beastofburdon · · Score: 1

      You're not very bright are you? If you have very little sugar in your system you have very little need for insulin, so you don't have to suffer the wildly fluctuating sugar levels. In your case it is a cure. In your child's case it is effective symptom management.

    33. Re: What about the delivery of insulin? by corychristison · · Score: 1

      Clearly you didn't read my post.

      I am not a diabetic, and in pretty decent shape. Can I stand some more gym time, absolutely. But nearly everyone can.

      I actually grow my own produce, we eat quite well. Very little carbs. Today I'm actually roto tilling in some compost in preparation of growing season.

      Reducing carb intake for my son will not help anything.

      Fuck off and quit making assumptions about people.

  2. Maybe it's just me but... by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    did anyone else read the title and think of a Wilford Brimley cat saying "Diabeetus"?

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  3. That old chestnut by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Informative

    Already debunked

    Only a moron who doesn't understand how floating point numbers work would think anything was odd about that example. What are you even doing on Slashdot if you cannot work with simple floating point?

    I mean, an AC can understand what is going on with that code and you can't?

    SHAME SHAME SHAME

    You're a PHP programmer, aren't you - admit it. Go back to "hacker" news.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  4. Re:Proof in the Numbers by fermion · · Score: 2

    2+2=5 for sufficiently high values of 2. Had a friend once who was getting a masters degree in math. If any student responded to 1+1 with an answer of two was ridiculed. I do the same thing with high school student in digital electronics class.

    --
    "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
  5. Liability, I would not buy stock. by s.petry · · Score: 2

    It's one thing to have Apple Watch or FitBit misread your heart rate as happens with tattoos. It's quite another to misread blood sugar and let someone go into shock or worse.

    Most people with diabetes that I know are concerned with the inaccuracy of the home kits which works with blood. What do you think happens if they have to sign a EULA giving indemnity to Apple? They won't buy it, and honestly neither would I.

    Honestly, we need to see if the tech actually goes anywhere. Then we'll have to wait for the first bad incident due to the tech. My guess? It'll be like an Apple watch. A few people will use it, and not the ones who rely on it.

    --

    -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    1. Re:Liability, I would not buy stock. by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

      It's one thing to have Apple Watch or FitBit misread your heart rate as happens with tattoos. It's quite another to misread blood sugar and let someone go into shock or worse.

      Most people with diabetes that I know are concerned with the inaccuracy of the home kits which works with blood. What do you think happens if they have to sign a EULA giving indemnity to Apple? They won't buy it, and honestly neither would I.

      Honestly, we need to see if the tech actually goes anywhere. Then we'll have to wait for the first bad incident due to the tech. My guess? It'll be like an Apple watch. A few people will use it, and not the ones who rely on it.

      I suspect it will be a "Not a medical device". As in it will NOT replace a glucosometer and testing strips. Instead, it might be able to give you one of three readings - hyperglycemic, normal, or hypoglycemic. I believe dogs are able to help you with this as well, but they cost a lot of money and require a lot of upkeep that others might not be able to do.

      If your watch can warn you that you're getting close to either extreme, there's a chance the user might be able to fix it before collapsing into a coma. Or if the user does collapse, then the watch can immediately place a call to 911 and relay that information to first responders.

      It won't replace a meter, but it can potentially warn if the blood sugar is at the extremes as well as provide information to first responders who might not have anyone to ask what's going on. The watch itself can be screaming out "Diabetic - hypoglycemic" on the screen which will aid them in reviving you.

  6. Re:Ahh, another stock fraud!!!! by Junta · · Score: 1

    "inventing the polio victims"

    Well that just seems cruel.

    --
    XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
  7. not Apple's strength by Goldsmith · · Score: 5, Informative

    If this is real, Apple is very much behind the times when it comes to both sensor technology and understanding of the medical device market. Trying a spectroscopic approach (which appears to be the case) is way out of date, that's a generation behind even the FDA cleared tests, and isn't going to compete with the new generation of sensors being developed now.

    There are several approaches to continuous monitoring of glucose, going back more than 10 years.

    Many of these technologies, particularly the non-invasive ones, are more available outside the US than inside. This has more to do with the way medical device manufacturers are paid than any technical limitation. Bluntly, being in the glucose monitoring business is a great way to lose a lot of money quickly. Yes, the market is big, but it's brutal. Apple's strength is not dominating low margin, highly regulated markets.

  8. Re:Proof in the Numbers by kuzb · · Score: 1

    While you're correct in your assessment of how floats work, only a twat would think that anyone's knowledge is limited by the tools they might use. People like you are one of the biggest problems with the industry.

    --
    BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
  9. Re:Proof in the Numbers by kuzb · · Score: 1

    Sorry, this was for SuperKendall.

    --
    BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
  10. I'd really like to see this work out... by Sooner+Boomer · · Score: 4, Informative

    I'm tired of poking a needle in my finger twice a day to make me bleed so I can check my blood sugar. Then there's the cost/bother of the strips and machine (strips have a short shelf life, machines eat batteries).

    --
    Chaos maximizes locally around me.
    1. Re:I'd really like to see this work out... by advocate_one · · Score: 1

      strips have a short shelf life

      nope... got another year left on the strips I bought last summer (big job lot, got a nice discount)...

      machines eat batteries

      Nope, have only had to change the CR2032 battery annually in the four years I've been using my meter... I use at least six strips a day as well

      I use the SD Codefree meter... simple and cheap to run as well.

      --
      Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
  11. It's not about manouvering on this one by xaxiomaticx · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Turns out this is a really really hard engineering problem to solve and it has been tried so many times before. There's a guy who even mqaintains a book on the subject. http://www.mendosa.com/The%20Pursuit%20of%20Noninvsive%20Glucose,%20Fourth%20Edition.pdf I wish them luck. It's a great challange and it will benefit a lot of people if they manage to pull it off.

  12. Secret Team? by SMPMike · · Score: 1

    Secret team? Not if we're posting about it.

  13. Re:Proof in the Numbers by santiago · · Score: 4, Informative

    The problem line is [oneish integerValue], which returns zero, and the rest of your code is just trying to obfuscate this. This is because NSDecimalNumber doesn't overrider integerValue, so it returns the inherited implementation, which returns zero. This is unexpected, but not undocumented. See the Subclassing Notes at:

    https://developer.apple.com/re...

    I'll note that in Swift, integerValue no longer exists, having been folded into intValue, which gives the expected result of one (just like intValue in Objective-C).

  14. Re:Looks like Apple is trying to profit off illnes by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    Both the sick and the greedy fall in line with Douglas Adams' quote from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: "People are a problem."

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  15. Glucotrack by messner_007 · · Score: 1

    What do you think about that one: http://www.integrity-app.com/t... It is now also officially approved in Europe ... I have may parients on this and they like it ... the only problem is the size of the machine ... but I guess it will get smaller with time ...

  16. smartphones are the future of medicine by tomhath · · Score: 1

    Remote monitoring of conditions like diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, etc. are a great use for smartphones. We'll see more of it to allow rapid intervention when something gets out of line.

  17. Well Done by Kunedog · · Score: 1

    The problem line is [oneish integerValue], which returns zero, and the rest of your code is just trying to obfuscate this.

    Congratulations, you're the first (across three different comment threads) to point that out (though some of the trolls were entertaining).

    This is unexpected, but not undocumented. See the Subclassing Notes at:

    https://developer.apple.com/re...

    I'll note that in Swift, integerValue no longer exists, having been folded into intValue, which gives the expected result of one (just like intValue in Objective-C).

    Looks more like a 64-bit issue.

    Note that if you use one fewer significant digit (e.g. @"1.111111111111111111" instead of @"1.1111111111111111111") the code works properly. That crosses the threshold where 64-bit integers overflow, which suggests a problem with the conversion used in integerValue. The 32-bit intValue always works properly, as does integerValue on 32-bit systems (where NSInteger is 32-bit, like a regular int).