Arundhati Parmar

A California startup that has reimagined the smartphone case as a glucose meter has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $50,000.

AkibaH has created the GluCase, which it bills as the world's first  smartphone case glucometer that can help people monitor their blood sugar levels and share that data with their endocrinologist. GluCase consolidates disposable lancets, test strips and an embedded glucose meter into one device thereby eliminating the need to carry bulky meters, testing supplies and logbooks.

It communicates with a companion app and a physician dashboard where the data is displayed alongside other contextual  information such as diet and activity.

"With healthcare becoming more mobile and personalized, we wanted to create something that would work seamlessly in the lives of people with diabetes without impacting the rest of their lifestyle," said AkibaH founder Fathi Abdelsalam, in a press release. "Since no one is ever without his or her phone anymore, GluCase solves that problem." 

Backers of the company's crowdfunded campaign being conducted on Indiegogo can pledge for the GluCase for $69. The company has raised more than $4,500 already with 28 days left to end the campaign as of the morning of Nov. 19 Even if the company is unable to raise the full amount, the flexible goal on Indiegogo means that it will receive whatever funds it receives at the end of the 30 day period of the campaign.

In its press release, AkibaH indicated that it will finalize product development and pursue a 510(k) clearance for GluCase. Backers of the campaign will be invited to pariticipate in the clinical study required to win that clearance for what is essentially a medical device. 

AkibaH's concept of an all-in-one smarphone case glucose meter was so intriguing that Sprint Accelerator, a mobile health tech accelerator powered by TechStars and Sprint, selected AkibaH in its inaugural class of 10 mhealth companies in 2014.

As a result of being selected, the company got an investment $120,000.

Arundhati Parmar is senior editor at MD+DI. Reach her at [email protected] and on Twitter @aparmarbb