Breakthrough device promises to detect glucose without needles

The idea of tracking blood sugar without needles has challenged health tech for years. For people with diabetes, constant monitoring is critical, yet the tools remain uncomfortable and invasive. Finger pricks hurt. Traditional continuous glucose monitors still sit under the skin. That daily burden adds up fast.

Recently, one small device has been drawing significant attention for tackling that problem in a very different way.

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Blood sugar levels can rise or fall quickly. When changes go unnoticed, the risks increase, from long-term organ damage to sudden hypoglycemia.

At the same time, glucose tracking has surged among people without diabetes. As GLP-1 medications gain popularity, many people now track their blood sugar to understand how food affects their bodies. The need for simpler tools keeps growing.

Even Apple has spent years trying to bring no-prick glucose tracking to wearables. Despite heavy investment, the feature has yet to arrive.

NEEDLE-FREE GLUCOSE CHECKS MOVE CLOSER TO REALITY

One of the most talked-about health devices at CES 2026 came from PreEvnt. Its product, called isaac, takes a nontraditional approach to glucose awareness. Instead of piercing skin or using optical sensors, isaac analyzes your breath. The device measures volatile organic compounds, especially acetone, which has long been associated with rising blood glucose. That sweet fruity breath is a known marker of diabetes. By detecting changes in those compounds, isaac can alert users to potential glucose events. The device is small, about the size of a quarter, with a loop so it can be worn on a lanyard or clipped to clothing or a bag.

The breath-based design is intended to reduce how often users need finger-prick blood tests, while providing early alerts for glucose-related changes.

The device is named after the inventor's grandson, Isaac, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at just two years old. The inventor, Bud Wilcox, wanted to reduce the number of painful finger pricks his grandson faced each day. That personal motivation led to years of collaboration with scientists, designers and engineers. Research and development included work with Indiana University, under the direction of Dr. M. Agarwal. The goal was simple but ambitious. Alert families to blood sugar events earlier while reducing the physical and emotional toll of constant testing.

Isaac is designed to fit into everyday routines. Users breathe into the device, which processes the reading and sends the data to a companion smartphone app. The app, still in its final stages of development, focuses on awareness and safety. Current features include:

This matters because people with diabetes can become disoriented or incapacitated during hypoglycemic events. Early alerts give caregivers or family members a chance to step in. A single charge lasts all day and supports multiple breath tests. The device comes with a USB-C charging cradle and cable.

According to PreEvnt, isaac is being developed for:

It may also appeal to people focused on metabolic health. As mentioned, the device is still undergoing development and FDA review and is not yet for sale in the U.S. The companion app will launch on iOS and Android closer to availability.

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PreEvnt first introduced isaac publicly at CES 2025. Later that year, the device entered active human clinical trials. Those studies compare isaac's breath-based alerts with traditional blood glucose monitoring methods. Trials began with adolescents who have type 1 diabetes and later expanded to adults with type 2 diabetes. The company is now working toward regulatory review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Because this technology is new, PreEvnt is pursuing a de novo pathway, which allows devices to be evaluated while standards are still being defined. According to the company, regulators have shown strong interest as the data continues to come in.

Isaac does not claim to replace medical-grade glucose meters. The device is being developed to supplement existing monitoring methods by offering breath-based alerts tied to glucose-related changes.

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Non-invasive glucose monitoring has long felt like a future promise that never quite arrives. The attention around isaac at CES 2026 suggests that promise may finally be getting closer. If clinical trials continue to deliver strong results and regulators give approval, breathing into a small device could one day replace at least some finger pricks. For families living with diabetes, that shift could make daily life easier and safer.

Would you trust a breath-based device to warn you about rising blood sugar before symptoms appear? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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