Continuous Glucose Monitoring

I've been using "freestyle libre" devices on my diabetic cat, but they are quite expensive(~$110 AUD), and typically don't last the whole 14 day period before failing. Although I imagine they are much more reliable on a human.

I've stopped using them because it's just a bit too expensive, and my cat's diabetes is more stable now.

I opened up a freestyle libre 2, it has a EM9304 bluetooth SOC, and a TI RF430 NFC microcontroller, chatgpt deepresearch estimated the bill of materials to be about $5 USD[0].

Some companies[1] are developing reusable CGMs, the electronics are reusable, but the glucose oxidase probe, and applicator needle are still consumable. I'm not sure if that will bring the costs down much, it doesn't seem like the BOM is the main factor in the price of existing CGMs anyway.

[0]: https://chatgpt.com/share/686225c7-11ac-8005-aa4a-f420415e21...

[1]: https://www.rightest.com/global/rightestifree2cgm/

> it doesn't seem like the BOM is the main factor in the price of existing CGMs anyway

No. A huge reason for the cost is (1) costs in R&D but also (2) the customer service/replacement requirements/etc required for medical devices.

If you were diabetic, and had a prescription for these devices, you'd be able to call Abott/Dexcom and get a replacement to a failed device shipped to you overnight. If the device didn't last the fully spec'd lifespan, you'd be eligible for replacements... etc