The new Lingo biowearables will take the form of an on-body sensor ideally situated on the back of the upper arm and worn for up to two weeks. The products are not intended for medical use.
Abbott Chairman and CEO, Robert Ford says it will be like having a “window into your body”: "It's science that you will be able to access any time so you can understand what your body is telling you and what it needs.
“Our vision is that Lingo will go far beyond today's wearables for consumers to help you proactively manage your health, nutrition and athletic performance."
Tracking ability
The first launch will take place “later this year” in Europe. Lingo Keto will be marketed directly to consumers and available without a prescription.
The ketone tracker will monitor the rate of ketosis in the body to provide insights on diet and weight loss. Ketones are released into the body when fat is burned for fuel (rather than glucose) through the metabolic process of ketosis.
Monitoring ketosis is beneficial in diet management because it affects appetite, which can help weight loss, and is known to reverse type 2 diabetes (or prediabetes) and enhance athletic performance.
A sensor that tracks lactate levels during exercise is also in development and could be a useful indicator of athletic performance.
Too much lactate in the system can stimulate physiological responses that effect performance and therefore lactate levels offer a reliable biomarker of the body’s reaction to physical activity.
Past experience
The Lingo trackers will use Abbott’s existing FreeStyle Libre technology (originally launched in 2014) designed to give diabetes sufferers easy access to glucose levels via their smartphones.
The subsequent launch of FreeStyle Libre 2, consumer glucose monitoring system, eliminated the need for routine fingerstick tests and attracted four million users.
Since then, the sensing technology has been adapted for athletes to optimize performance by monitoring biomarkers for fuel production.
The Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biowearable launched in Europe in 2020 and includes elite athletes among its users.
Glucose monitoring can help manage weight and sleep patterns and improve energy and cognitive performance, and modifications currently in development will allow Lingo to measure biomarkers beyond glucose.
Background
Abbott is a global developer of healthcare technologies for diagnostics, medical devices, nutritional products and branded general medicine.
Products also include the HeartMate 3 Ventricular Assist System to provide short and long-term mechanical circulatory support in adult and paediatric patients; the CardioMEMS HF System for wireless measuring and monitoring pulmonary artery pressure and heart rate.
The BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test, which has not yet been cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA), although it is authorised for the detection of proteins from SARS-CoV-2a for a defined period under the EUA.