Our Technology

Current technology for blood glucose monitoring involves pricking the finger (or alternative site) to produce a drop of blood and using a handheld meter with a disposable reagent strip, to "read" the glucose concentration in the blood drop. A decision must then be made as to the appropriate therapeutic response, e.g., the administration of a certain quantity of insulin based on a single point in time reading that gives no information about blood glucose trend or rate of change. Even when performed multiple times per day, these single point-in-time results cannot provide the patient with a complete picture of his or her blood glucose behavior. Traditional glucose monitoring looks only at a point in time (a snapshot); it cannot tell a person where they have been or where they are going.

In contrast to the currently reimbursed standard of care, iSense CGM products will allow the user to actually see the blood glucose level in a continuous, real-time readout (a movie) before deciding on a course of action. Alarms and alerts will create additional security and provide advance warning of impending hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, with enough forewarning for the patient to generate a response to avert the event.

The goal of continuous glucose monitoring is to provide information about overall glucose status in order for the person with diabetes to take meaningful and timely action to avoid excursions, and potentially prevent hypoglycemia and minimize hyperglycemia.

iSense is currently conducting clinical studies with its CGM product, and it is not available on a commercial basis.

The biosensor is an ultra-small (4x the size of a human hair) disposable subcutaneous sensor designed to measure glucose concentration for up to 7 days, although its useful life will be regulated by the FDA. The biosensor design geometry is based on a round, flexible composite wire structure with circumferential, lateral-spaced electrodes.

An electrochemical reaction occurs in presence of glucose at a recessed reactor site at the distal tip of the sensor. During this reaction, an electrical current is generated. The current is measured and displayed as glucose concentration continuously, in real time, providing 1,440 glucose values per day (one per minute) iSense has proprietary multi-polymer membranes which allow the specific enzymatic reactions to occur enabling a more precise measurement of glucose.

Glucose data is wirelessly transmitted to a receiving unit, which is approximately the size of a cell phone. Data can be displayed in several different formats, depending on user preference, and stored for future download to a PC or other information repository. The receiving unit also alerts and alarms to warn of impending hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.

iSense currently has 15 patents owned or licensed, and 26 patent applications.