Development of a Wearable Optical Sensor for Non-Medical Glucose Dynamics Monitoring: Crowdfunding as a Tool for Early User Engagement and Device Validation
V. A. Kozlov1,2, A. A. Kozlova1, D. N. Bratashov1; 1Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Moscow, Russia; 2SANNSORS LLC, Moscow region, Russia
Abstract
Non‑invasive monitoring of glucose level dynamics is one of the most sought‑after areas in modern biomedical optics; however, the development of reliable optical sensors faces significant challenges due to the strong light scattering in biological tissues and the difficulty of converting laboratory prototypes into real user devices. In this work, we present a wearable optical sensor designed for non‑medical monitoring of glucose level dynamics based on tissue scattering analysis. The device measures relative changes in glucose concentration by tracking changes in the optical signal in the near‑infrared range, providing users with information about trends rather than absolute clinical values. It is important to note that the device is positioned as a non‑medical product focused on health improvement, which significantly reduces regulatory barriers and allows for faster iterative development and integration of user feedback.
To confirm market demand and involve early users in the development process, three crowdfunding campaigns were launched, featuring various versions of the device. More than 200 sponsors took part in them, and the total amount of funds raised exceeded 3 million rubles. In addition to the financial verification, this approach provided a unique opportunity for continuous interaction with motivated early users — people who are genuinely interested in monitoring the dynamics of blood glucose levels to improve their health and lifestyle. Their feedback directly influenced the choice of hardware, improvements to the user interface, and data interpretation algorithms, which led to the creation of a device tailored to real‑life usage scenarios.
Our experience shows that engaging interested early adopters is not just a marketing tool, but a crucial component of the innovation cycle, especially in complex areas related to biomedicine, where behavior, comfort, and usability are no less important than technical specifications. The iterative feedback loop, which became possible thanks to crowdfunding, made it possible to quickly identify practical problems and make design improvements that would have been difficult to predict under ordinary laboratory conditions. The collected data on user preferences and usage patterns also helped to develop more reliable signal processing algorithms adapted to various physiological states.
Although the device currently does not claim clinical accuracy, the project successfully confirmed both the technological concept and the market demand for non‑invasive glucose level monitoring. The crowdfunding model proved to be an effective way to reduce risks during the development process and to build a community of interested users who contribute to the product’s development. We believe that implementing early user engagement strategies in the development of innovative optical sensors can significantly accelerate the transition from laboratory prototypes to practical, user‑centered devices, even in such complex application areas where traditional clinical validation methods require a lot of time and resources.
Speaker
Vladimir Kozlov
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
Russia
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