At the forefront of the future of diabetes care, we’re no stranger to challenges.

Delivering breakthrough diabetes solutions like around the clock, up-to-the-minute continuous glucose monitoring (GCM) with our FreeStyle Libre technology isn’t where our job ends. Our commitment to breaking down barriers in diabetes care may be an endless pursuit, but it's a critical one.

We chatted with Jean-Pierre Cole, a Research Fellow who has helped develop our FreeStyle Libre system from the ground up, to discuss some of the major challenges we face in developing next-generation diabetes technology, and how we're working to solve them.

1.     Can we make it smaller still?

At the size of two stacked U.S. quarters, our FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor manages to pack in some of the biggest features for people living with diabetes. Still, our long-held goal of making our FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor as inconspicuous as it is mighty is pushing us to make the next generation even smaller. The challenge? According to Cole, "the mechanical aspect, it's all incredibly challenging." And even more difficult with only millimeters of space to work with.

2.     Can we make it simpler?

Our FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor comes in two pieces that the user has to put together. To make our FreeStyle Libre systems easier to use, we're exploring different ways to get everything into one piece so there'd be no assembly required in the future.

3.     What's the best way to keep it sterile?

Speaking of sterilization, our FreeStyle Libre 14 day and 2 systems had conventional sterile barrier systems, which prevents any contamination. "There's different ways of sterilizing," Cole said. "We have to maintain the stability of the sensor. Some sterilization methods have effects to marginalize the performance, so we end up staying away from those approaches." To maintain optimal sterilization while making our system easier to use, we're rising to the challenge.