Glucose and Ketones in One Sensor: What Abbott’s Next-Gen Wearable Could Mean for You

Imagine your CGM could also warn you before ketones start climbing. That’s the promise of Abbott’s upcoming dual glucose–ketone sensor—a Libre-sized wearable designed to stream both glucose and blood ketone data continuously to your phone and, eventually, to automated insulin delivery (AID) pumps.

Where things are up to (timelines & what’s public)

Abbott first revealed the project in 2022 and says the device has FDA Breakthrough Device status, a program that can speed development and review. In mid-2025 the company announced new integrations with four pump partners—Tandem, Beta Bionics (iLet), Ypsomed/CamDiab, and Sequel—signalling that the ketone stream is being built straight into future closed-loop systems. There isn’t a public launch date yet, but the cadence of 2025 announcements suggests the program is moving through later-stage studies toward regulatory submissions. In plain English: not on shelves yet, but getting closer.

A June 2025 trade-press recap framed the sensor as “on the horizon,” built on the Libre 3 form factor (tiny!) with pivotal trials previously flagged; Abbott has also been telling investors that momentum around the dual sensor is building. Again, no public on-sale month—think watch this space rather than pre-order now.

What could this change in daily life?

Here’s how a glucose + ketone stream could help in everyday T1D scenarios:

• Catching infusion-set problems sooner. Glucose can rise for lots of reasons. Ketones rise specifically when insulin isn’t getting in (occlusion, site failure, empty cartridge, dislodged set). A rising ketone trend alongside stubborn hyperglycaemia is a strong “check your infusion site now” signal.

• Safer sick days. When you’re unwell, you may not test ketones as often as guidelines suggest. Automatic ketone alerts could prompt earlier fluids, correction insulin, and site changes—reducing the risk of diabetic keto-acidosis (DKA).

• Peace of mind for families. Abbott says the dual sensor will plug into its existing app/cloud ecosystem, so remote viewing of glucose and ketones could help parents and carers triage night-time highs or pump alarms without guesswork.

• SGLT-2 and DKA. If you’re on an SGLT-2 inhibitor, continuous ketone monitoring (CKM - another acronym for you!) could be particularly valuable because ketones can climb even when glucose isn’t sky-high. Early ketone alerts may help prevent hospital trips.

What integration with pumps might look like

Abbott has announced integrations with Tandem, Beta Bionics (iLet), Ypsomed/CamDiab, and Sequel. In future closed-loop systems, ketone data could:

• Trigger smart safety behaviours (e.g., quicker site-failure prompts, reminders to inject backup insulin, or lockouts that prevent algorithmic insulin reductions when ketones are high).

• Inform exercise/sickness modes with a second safety signal beyond glucose alone.

These capabilities will depend on each pump’s algorithm and regulatory clearances, but the intent is clear: closed loop that understands insulin delivery status better, not just glucose trends.

What we don’t know yet

There’s still a lot to learn about how this technology will work in real life. For starters, Abbott hasn’t given a release date or told us which countries will get the sensor first. We also don’t know when it will be available through the NDSS. Given it's a whole new product category (just like disposable patch pumps were when Omnipod was released back in 2021) means that approvals could take longer.

We also don’t yet know the fine details: how accurate the ketone readings will be, how quickly the sensor “warms up,” or how long each one will last before you need to replace it. Early research shows that measuring ketones continuously is possible, but the real-world numbers will matter.

And finally, we don’t know exactly how alerts will be set up. No one wants constant alarms that lead to alert fatigue, so getting that balance right — helpful but not overwhelming — will be key. Expect guidelines and best practices to evolve once more people start using these sensors.

Bottom line

A sensor that measures both glucose and ketones—especially when wired into closed loop systems—could make sick-day decisions clearer, infusion-set mishaps less dangerous, and DKA rarer. We don’t have a release date yet, but the 2025 partnerships and “Breakthrough” status are strong signals that this tech is on the way.