Telcare BGM Wireless Glucose Meter Wins Semi-Finalist Status in Last Gadget Standing Competition at CES

January 06, 2012

During the public voting phase, Telcare experienced a ground swell of support that propelled it into 7th place in the popular vote by the semi-finals voting ended on December 26. The popular vote ranked Telcare’s product up there with entries from a number of major consumer electronics companies, including products from Sony, Samsung, and Epson.

“This is the first time a wireless medical device, with the potential to improve and even save lives has received widespread recognition in the mainstream Consumer Electronics world,” said Dr. Jonathan Javitt, Telcare’s CEO and co-founder. “Although we are still a tiny company, we hope to bring an improved lifestyle to the 28 million Americans with diabetes and to millions more around the world.”

The Telcare BGM measures blood sugar in a manner similar to traditional glucose meters, meeting the FDA’s latest standards of accuracy and reliability. From that point forward, however, Telcare’s process is revolutionary and life-changing. Rather than forcing users to record their blood sugar measurements and consult with medical professionals from time to time, the Telcare product transmits every glucose reading to Telcare’s FDA-cleared cloud server, from where it is relayed to physicians, other health professionals and authorized relatives of the user. Each time a test is sent, guidance and coaching is transmitted back to the user by displaying it on the screen of the Telcare BGM.

According to the CDC, Diabetes will affect 1 in 3 Americans born after the year 2000 and currently consumes 1 in 10 health care dollars. Complications of diabetes, including heart attack, stroke, blindness, and amputation can largely be prevented by rigorous control of blood sugar. By connecting people with diabetes to their caregivers, the Telcare product makes the process of managing diabetes a continuous, rather than episodic process. Numerous articles in the medical literature have shown that this type of real-time feedback and coaching is critical to improving the outcomes of diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

“Including key relatives of people with diabetes in Telcare’s electronic feedback loop, we the parents of diabetic children or the adult relatives of elderly people with diabetes is a key part of Telcare’s value proposition. The scariest day of any parent’s life is the day a child with diabetes goes to school for the first time. Having up to the minute testing results relayed right to the parent’s cell phone can make the difference between another good day and an unexpected trip to the hospital,” said Steve Altman, Vice Chairman of Qualcomm, Inc. who has close family with diabetes and is a nationwide advocate for improved diabetes treatment.

The Telcare product may be viewed in the Qualcomm Life Pavilion at CES. Telcare will begin taking orders for the Telcare BGM the week of CES and shipping to select customers shortly thereafter. In order to support its customers, Telcare has established Telcare Medical Supply, Inc. (TMS), a Medicare-certified DME (durable medical equipment supplier), especially organized to support the sale of wireless medical devices. TMS is operated by Mr. David Bjork, Telcare’s President. “TMS is the world’s first DME capable of automatically provisioning, shipping, and supporting a cellular enabled glucose meter in a manner that complies both with FDA regulation and patient privacy laws, such as HIPAA. We are actively working with health insurers around the country to bring Telcare’s technology to their patients.” said Mr. Bjork.

While not all physicians are prepared to receive real time electronic data on their patients, some have proactively configured their practices to be able to provide telemedicine support to their patients with chronic illnesses. “Telcare is a solution that we have eagerly awaited,” said Dr. Joseph Prendergast, a well-known San Francisco Bay Area diabetes specialist. “With this technology, we will be able to connect with our patients in real time and not only help them stay out of our office, but out of the hospital as well.”

Telcare was founded in December 2008 by Jonathan Javitt, M.D., M.P.H., John R. Dwyer, Jr., and Mr. David Bjork. The company is privately held by its principals, Qualcomm Ventures, and a group of private investors.