Remember the iconic tricorders from Star Trek? With one little device the doctor was able to scan a person’s whole body and see exactly what was wrong and why. Imagine being able to scan your own body that way and get an instant diagnostics report, just like the engine of a car.
That science-fiction staple might soon become science-fact thanks to a small skin patch and a very smart app. The santéPatch is a painless, wearable micro-patch which is placed directly on the skin to measure and monitor your vitamin and mineral levels in just 15 minutes.
Those readings are then processed through the paired smartphone app, which gives you real time reports on your body’s levels of Vitamin D, Zinc, Magnesium and more.
With nearly one-third of the U.S. population at risk of deficiency in at least one vitamin, discovering what your current vitamin levels are could be a game-changer in health.
How the santéPatch works
According to their Kickstarter campaign, the santéPatch works through a process known as reverse iontophoresis. By applying a very small electrical pulse through the patch, a process called electro-osmotic flow brings interstitial fluids and sweat from the skin through a spectrometer sensor on the patch.
The santéPatch then passes this information to a dedicated app using NFC and RFID communication (the same thing found in the chip on your credit card). The app then computes those readings and determines how much of each nutrient it has picked up and if those levels are high, low, or within a normal range.
The santéPatch campaigns states the device can currently measure the following vitamins, with more planned for the future:
- A
- D
- E
- K
- C
- B
- Zinc
- Selenium
- Magnesium
- Iron
The campaigns states that besides vitamin readings, the app will also provide users with real-time personalized nutrition plans, recipes, and health tracking that adapts to the user’s readings over time.
It isn’t clear exactly how long each santéPatch lasts, but the campaign outlines they will be sold 4 patches per pack, and that one pack lasts about a month.
Where to buy santéPatch
The Kickstarter campaign for santéPatch has surpassed their $83k goal with less than a week remaining. To pre-order this wearable wonder, you can currently pledge $28 to receive a one month supply and their app. Higher pledge levels unlock up to a year’s worth of patches along with additional perks.
Rewards are estimated to ship February 2022.