VitaSense Needle‑Free

VitaSense

VitaSense Needle‑Free

Machine-learning-powered polarized-light GeSe sensors deliver painless, continuous, needle-free glucose monitoring.

Blue Bell, PA, USA

USA

Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit

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Diabetes affects 537 million people worldwide—and will exceed 643 million by 2030—yet fewer than 20 percent of patients use continuous glucose monitors. Existing CGMs cost $3,000–$5,000 per year, require painful subcutaneous sensors, and often irritate skin, discouraging regular testing—even in high‑income settings. In clinics in West Philadelphia, patients average fewer than two glucose tests per day because of pain, cost, and supply gaps. In low‑ and middle‑income countries (home to 79 percent of diabetics), these barriers leave most unable or unwilling to self‑monitor, driving preventable complications such as hypoglycemia, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and blindness. VitaSense addresses this at scale by offering a non‑invasive armband at a one‑time price of $250. It combines polarized‑light photoplethysmography with GeSe‑based sensors and machine‑learning calibration to deliver clinical‑grade readings every ten seconds—no needles, adhesives, or consumables. By eliminating physical and financial obstacles, VitaSense empowers hundreds of millions of underserved patients worldwide to monitor continuously, take timely corrective action, and reduce acute and long‑term complications.

VitaSense is a wearable armband that continuously measures blood glucose without needles or adhesives. A polarized‑light emitter shines through the skin while a germanium‑selenide (GeSe) nanomaterial photodetector senses how glucose alters light polarization. A machine‑learning regression model then converts those optical signals into glucose readings with 99.6 % accuracy every ten seconds, streaming data via Bluetooth to a companion app for real‑time trends, alerts, and actionable insights. The device runs for three days on a single charge, requires no warm‑up time, and uses low‑cost, reusable components for affordability and sustainability. Our peer‑reviewed findings were published in Advanced Functional Materials, and we have two U.S. patents pending on the PPG‑GeSe sensing platform and AI calibration algorithms. VitaSense has been validated in two prototype phases and honored with multiple awards—including 3rd place in engineering at the National Junior Science & Humanities Symposium, Bronze Medal in Physics of the S.T. Yau High School Science Award in North America, and named a Philly Inno 25 Under 25 innovator in 2025. Watch our product demo at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q3IF36bt4REK9oTvm52FAugg7rTVPBdU/view?usp=drive_link

Diabetes affects 537 million people worldwide and will exceed 643 million by 2030. Yet fewer than 20 percent of these patients use continuous glucose monitors because current CGMs cost $3,000–$5,000 per year, require painful needles and adhesives, and often irritate skin—even in high‑income settings. In West Philadelphia clinics, patients average fewer than two glucose tests per day due to pain, cost, and supply gaps. In low‑ and middle‑income countries—home to 79 percent of diabetics—these barriers leave the majority unable or unwilling to self‑monitor, fueling preventable complications like hypoglycemia, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and blindness. VitaSense serves this global population by offering a needle‑free, adhesive‑free armband at a one‑time price of $250. Using polarized‑light photoplethysmography with GeSe nanomaterial sensors and real‑time machine‑learning calibration, it delivers clinical‑grade glucose readings every ten seconds without warm‑up delays or disposable supplies. By removing both financial and physical obstacles, VitaSense empowers millions of underserved patients to test continuously, take timely corrective action, and reduce acute and long‑term complications.