This is the blood glucose monitor we’ve been waiting for

Wearables industry He solved relatively easy problems: step counting, sleep tracking, fitness training. It also solves more complex things like detecting atrial fibrillation and sleep apnea. While all of these biometrics are useful, continuous blood sugar tracking in a non-invasive way (meaning it doesn’t involve needles) has eluded fitness tracker makers.

Diabetics need to constantly monitor their blood sugar to ensure it does not get too high, which could damage their organs. This is especially difficult for older adults and young children, since blood sugar monitoring typically requires a prick blood test or a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), which also reaches under the skin.

Continuous glucose monitors have also become popular among non-diabetics as GLP-1s have skyrocketed in popularity. Eating like a diabetic – lots of protein and fibre, and minimal sugar and carbohydrates – is a great way to lose weight. Apple, among other companies, has spent years, and millions of dollars, trying to bring a non-prick blood glucose monitor to the Apple Watch, but the feature hasn’t arrived yet.

All of this explains why I couldn’t believe PreEvnt Isaac was real when I saw him here at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. The Isaac is a small device about the size of a quarter. Instead of visually tracking blood glucose through the skin, it measures volatile organic compounds in your breath to detect biomarkers like acetone that can be linked to high blood glucose levels.

You may not be able to wear it on a ring or a smartwatch, but a small device that you can wear around your neck or keep in your bag without having to run back to the bathroom to prick your skin is a huge step in improving the quality of life for many, many people.

Upcoming FDA clearance

Photo: Adrian So

Isaac is named after the inventor’s grandson, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was two years old. A 2-year-old does not want to be constantly poked. Bud Wilcox realized that “acetone breath”—that sweet, tangy breath that is a common symptom of diabetes—could be used to check blood sugar.

PreEvnt and Wilcox showed off this concept at CES 2025 (it didn’t seem real at the time, either). Later that year, the device entered active human clinical trials at Indiana University. The study compares Isaac’s performance in monitoring blood sugar levels compared to traditional blood sugar monitoring, starting with adolescents with type 1 diabetes and expanding to adults with type 2 diabetes.

The trials are being conducted with an eye to regulatory review by the US Food and Drug Administration next year.