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Leading Welsh Tech Firm Welcomes Esteemed Endocrinologist to its Clinical Advisory Board

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Afon Technology Ltd, a leading innovator in the field of healthcare technology, is delighted to announce the addition of esteemed Professor David C. Klonoff MD to its clinical advisory board.

Dr Klonoff's unparalleled expertise in diabetes technology and his illustrious career in the medical field make him an invaluable asset to the Welsh company’s mission of advancing healthcare solutions.

Dr Klonoff is a renowned endocrinologist and holds the position of clinical professor of medicine at the prestigious University College San Francisco. In addition, he serves as the medical director of the Diabetes Research Institute of Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, a part of Sutter Health, situated in San Mateo, California.

His contributions to the field of diabetes have earned him numerous accolades, including the American Diabetes Association's 2019 Outstanding Physician Clinician Award, an FDA Director's Special Citation Award in 2010 for his outstanding contributions to diabetes technology, and the IEEE Standards Association Conformity Assessment Award in 2022.

As a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the American College of Physicians, and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Dr Klonoff's dedication to advancing medical science is evident. He has been invited to speak before esteemed audiences, including the US Congressional Diabetes Caucus, the White House Health and Cybersecurity Roundtable, and the European Parliament.

Notably, Dr Klonoff is the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology and the founder of Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. He established the Diabetes Technology Meeting and the Hospital Diabetes Meeting, demonstrating his commitment to fostering innovation in the field.

Dr Klonoff has also played a crucial role in the emerging realm of diabetes digital health, serving as the senior editor for the world's first three books on this subject. His pioneering work extends to the impact of diabetes management on COVID-19, with his research highlighting the importance of correcting hyperglycaemia in diabetes to enhance recovery.

Afon Technology is excited to welcome such a distinguished and accomplished individual to its clinical advisory board. Dr Klonoff's insights and guidance will undoubtedly contribute significantly to Afon Technology's continued mission of developing cutting-edge healthcare solutions that improve the lives of patients worldwide.

Afon Technology’s CEO Sabih Chaudhry said:

“We are pleased and proud to welcome the esteemed Dr David C. Klonoff to our clinical advisory board.

“His expertise and passion for diabetes technology align perfectly with our commitment to innovation and excellence in healthcare. We look forward to the valuable contributions he will make to our organisation.”

Afon Technology focuses on working towards the future of blood glucose monitoring, which will benefit people around the world with diabetes.

The pioneering company is best known for developing the world’s first non-invasive, real-time, and continuous blood glucose sensor. The device is worn on the inside of the wrist, with or without a watch, and it feeds back to the user’s chosen smart device to display blood glucose data.

Unlike current devices it will measure blood glucose levels in real-time without the need to penetrate the skin at all, making it easier to manage the condition and reducing the risk of diabetes-related complications such as heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and limb amputations.

Companies such as Apple, Samsung, and Google are rumoured to have been trying to develop non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, but so far none has been successful. Afon Technology hopes to win the race to this important milestone.

Preliminary clinical research gives people with diabetes hope that such a device could become a reality in the near future.

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Afon Technology, is a small team based in South Wales tackling one of the biggest technology challenges in the world of diabetes: non-invasive, continuous, blood glucose monitoring.

The team headed up by founder and microwave engineer, Dr Sabih Chaudhry is on a mission to develop the world’s first truly non-invasive continuous glucose monitor (CGM), Glucowear®. The wearable device will sit on the underside of the user’s wrist and using very low-powered frequency waves will measure blood glucose levels which will then be communicated back to a companion app on the user’s smartphone.

Game-changing technology
Dr Chaudhry has been dedicated to bringing this much-needed technology to life for many years but it was only in 2015 that he was able to secure substantial investment to allow him to build up a team to help with this hugely challenging feat. It was whilst working on a cancer treatment technology also using low-powered RF/microwaves that Dr Chaudhry had what he calls his ‘Heath Robinson’ moment with a friend when they realised that microwaves could be used to detect changes in biological constituents.

Afon Technology now employees a number of highly skilled and experienced engineers and regulatory experts who are working together to bring this device to market. The company has been recognised on a number of occasions for its innovative and ground-breaking work, most recently by being awarded a European Innovation Council Accelerator Grant of €2.4million. The company is currently preparing the device for further clinical trials in order to secure CE marking.

Meeting the challenge
Diabetes is a global pandemic with 537 million adults living with the condition, a number predicted to rise to 643 million by 2030. In Wales alone, caring for people with diabetes costs NHS Wales £500 million per year.

Diabetes technology and treatment has come a long way in the last 100 years with current CGMs enabling people with diabetes the ability to self-manage their condition with much more control and information. However, at best they are minimally invasive and not accessible to all living with diabetes. Health complications due to poorly managed diabetes are serious and can be life threatening. A truly non-invasive glucose monitoring device is what so many of the diabetes community and healthcare professionals have been waiting for.

The scale of this challenge is obvious and a number of the ‘big’ tech giants haven’t even been able to come up with a solution yet. The team at Afon is excited and hopeful that they will be able to say the very first ‘non-invasive CGM’ was developed in Wales.

 

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