In Brazil, diabetes is an epidemic. With over 13 000 000 Brazilians living with diabetes and pre-diabetes, it has one of the highest diabetes rates in the world and shows little sign of slowing down. However, if diabetes is detected at an early stage, it can be prevented, helping to avoid lifelong complications such as blindness, amputation and death. Understanding prevention is key, The Diabetes Association of ABC needed a product that would encourage Brazilians to visit their doctors and to be screened for diabetes. Knowing that the majority of men forgo regular doctor checkups unless they are aware something is wrong, we needed to show them that they were at-risk of diabetes – allowing them to take action before it’s too late.

The Puck is a non-invasive glucose detection tool that determines if a man may be diabetic or pre-diabetic. Although the technology within The Puck is complex, the idea behind it is simple. Once a man urinates on the device, it will accurately measure the amount of glucose in the urine. Depending on the result, The Puck will turn one of two colours: green if glucose levels are within the threshold and red if glucose levels are high. If red, the user will be directed to visit his doctor. With this simple, real-time, effective messaging, men who are most at-risk will have an opportunity to get ahead of diabetes before it is too late. Thus, avoiding lifelong complications including blindness, amputation, and death.

Currently, a man can monitor his glucose levels in urine with a one-time-use dipstick which requires him to be previously aware of his condition. However, with less than 50% of Brazilian men seeing their doctor regularly, most are unaware of their diabetic condition. The Puck will non-invasively detect the presence of Glycosuria and will determine if there is a possibility of developing diabetes. In its prototype stage, The Puck has been installed in four urinals throughout Brazil and Canada. However, The Puck will be installed in 120+ locations throughout Brazil, Canada and the US within the year. Using demographic analysis, each location will be strategically selected to target locations most frequented by men aged 20-50 (bars, restaurants, music venues, sports stadiums, etc.) And, knowing that diabetes is a global epidemic, The Puck has been designed to be integrated into international markets easily. Once released, The Puck will also store all of its collected data, helping to improve the accuracy of diabetes statistics in regions, countries or even the world.

Polarimetry is the technology behind The Puck. It uses linearly polarized light to detect glucose in urine. Glucose is an optically active substance, meaning it’s able to rotate the polarized light. By measuring how much it rotates, we can precisely calculate the glucose concentration. The Puck is a small form-factor device, that uses cost-effective materials which allows it to be accessible to everyone. In its prototype stage, it has been installed in four urinals throughout Brazil and Canada. However, The Puck will be installed in 120+ locations throughout Brazil, Canada and the US within 18-months. But, knowing that diabetes is a global epidemic, The Puck was designed for scalability. By communicating crucial information about a man’s health with the simplicity of only two colours, The Puck is able to be easily be integrated into global markets.

Diabetes is a silent killer. Of the more than 113 000 deaths caused by diabetes in Brazil each year, half of the deceased were unaware of their diabetic condition. That’s why it’s critical that diabetes is detected at an early stage, so preventative measures can be taken. The Puck has been installed in four urinals throughout Brazil and Canada during its prototype stage. Previously men would only become aware of the problem once symptoms became significant and they were forced to see their doctor. The Puck is able to non-invasively detect signs of diabetes at its earliest stages and help ease the strain long-term complications can have on the healthcare system. Once internationally launched, The Puck will give a real-time diagnosis of diabetes to millions of potentially diabetic men.