The Puck uses Polarimetry to detect glucose in urine - a method, until now, utilized in the food and alcohol industry to identify the purity of various substances. Devices that are currently available on the market are big, expensive, overcomplicated and require trained personale to operate. The Puck is an innovative take on older technology - it’s a simplified, small form-factor device, that uses cost-effective materials allowing global distribution at a minimal cost.

The Puck is designed to detect Glycosuria – the excess of glucose in the urine. Ordinarily, urine doesn’t contain glucose but when levels in the blood become elevated and exceed 160–180 mg/dL, kidneys become overwhelmed and excrete glucose into the urine allowing us to detect if a sample indicates there’s a chance of Type II diabetes. 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.

Due to a majority of males aged 20-50 forgoing regular doctor checkups, many don’t know they are putting themselves at risk of diabetes. Through established partnerships with leading interior advertising networks, The Puck will be installed in locations most frequented by this demographic. 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 a 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.

Prototypes Installed – April 2019

Prototype R&D – Until October 2019

Securing international locations – Until October 2019

Target Launch Date – November 14, 2019 (World Diabetes Day)

Polarimetry is the key to The Puck. This technology uses linearly polarized light to determine the change of optical rotation angle within a substance to calculate the concentration of glucose in urine. Inside The Puck, a polarizer propagates this light into one plane and sends it through a sample of urine that contains glucose. Glucose, like all sugars, is an optically active substance, meaning when light passes through the sample, the plane rotates. Using a mechanical construct (analyzer) that rotates a photocell behind a second polarizing filter, The Puck can measure the rotation angle of this plane and compare it to a reference rotation angle. For glucose, the reference rotation angle is +52.70°, which means that 1g of glucose dissolved in 100ml of liquid in a 10cm long container, rotates the light by 0.527°. Knowing this, we can precisely correlate the measured rotation angle with the concentration of the glucose within any sample.

The Puck is a prototype that can determine glucose concentration more accurately than the one-time-use urine test strips currently sold over the counter. By applying a modern approach to century-old technology, we’ve increased the accuracy while making it smaller, cheaper and more accessible to all.

Once Type II Diabetes develops, it cannot be undone. That’s why it’s critical that diabetes is detected at an early stage and preventative measures are taken. Our working prototype was built for less than $50 - once manufactured at scale, the CPU will decrease depending on volume. So far, 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 the next 18-months. The Puck will help ease the strain long-term complications can have on the healthcare system. While the plan is to launch in Brazil, The Puck will be designed to be easily integrated into international markets, helping to slow the growth of this global epidemic.