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By miniaturizing lab-grade sensor technology with exceptional accuracy, it turns your diet into an actionable metric for healthier aging. Establishing this new benchmark in wearable health tracking required years of intensive R&D, countless prototypes and unwavering grit.<\/p>\n
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Breaking New Ground in Nutrition Tracking<\/strong><\/p>\n Back in 2018, Samsung saw a critical gap in wearables: we could count every step and calorie, yet there was no simple way to measure how our diet impacted our health. Deeper nutritional insights were locked behind expensive and time-consuming lab tests, out of reach for many people.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n As people live longer, the focus is shifting from simply increasing lifespan to improving the quality of those additional years.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn this context, antioxidation naturally gains attention as a method to slow down aging,\u201d explains Dr. Hyojee\u202fJoung, a Seoul National University1\u00a0public health nutrition expert who guided parts of the\u00a0tech\u2019s development. \u201cIf antioxidant management is neglected, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) accumulate in the body, increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This realization made antioxidants the cornerstone of Samsung\u2019s mission. Engineers and scientists focused on carotenoids \u2013 key antioxidants and proven indicators of fruit and vegetable intake \u2013 to create a device small enough to sit on your wrist, yet powerful enough to turn complex antioxidant data into simple, actionable health insights for everyone.<\/p>\n The first prototype of the spectroscopy-based antioxidant sensor.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A clinical-ready version of the sensor.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A prototype designed for use in skincare products.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Challenge #1: How to Shrink the Lab-Grade Sensor Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n From day one, the dream of a nutrition-tracking wearable hit an immediate snag: traditional methods for measuring carotenoid levels like Raman spectroscopy are laser-based, non-invasive and precise, but rely on bulky machines that are far from wearable. So the team\u2019s first mission was to shrink the lab-grade tech into a coin-sized sensor.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n After seven years of rigorous testing and optimizing since the first prototype, the team developed the\u00a0miniaturized sensor<\/strong>,\u00a0a groundbreaking tech that combines multi-wavelength LEDs with a custom photodetector array to provide accurate carotenoid readings in a compact design.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur breakthrough was integrating reflectance spectroscopy with LEDs, which allowed us to miniaturize the technology while maintaining a high level of accuracy,\u201d explains Jinyoung Park, a developer from Digital Health team at Samsung Electronics.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u25b2 Galaxy Watch8\u2019s LED-PD sensor modules.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Unlike lasers, which emit a sharp, narrow wavelength, LEDs emit a broader wavelength range. By analyzing how much light is absorbed by the skin at multiple wavelengths through photodiodes2,\u00a0the watch estimates carotenoid levels with impressive accuracy. The advanced algorithms that continuously calibrate in real-time also support precision while delivering personalized insights to each user.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u25b2 The LED-PD prototype testbed at the back of Galaxy Watch8.<\/p>\n Challenge #2: How to Ensure the Tech Reaches Everyone<\/strong><\/p>\n Creating a coin-sized carotenoid sensor was a major milestone, but the next challenge was ensuring it could work accurately and reliably across diverse skin types, making it truly accessible to everyone.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n To overcome challenges like melanin interference in darker skin tones, Samsung\u2019s engineers opted to use the fingertip for measurements since it has the least melanin across all ethnic groups. They also added simple tweaks, like light fingertip pressure during scans, which helps temporarily reduce blood flow and hemoglobin interference, making the results more accurate.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Extensive trials conducted at Samsung Medical Center3\u00a0included hundreds of participants, validating the sensor\u2019s performance. This paved the way for a feature that seamlessly transitioned from the lab to users worldwide, offering an inclusive solution designed for everyday life.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n How It Works<\/strong><\/p>\n Carotenoids are the natural red, yellow and green pigments found in fruits and vegetables. Since our bodies can\u2019t produce carotenoids on their own, the levels stored in the body offer a clear snapshot of how much fruit and vegetables someone has been eating.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This is where your Antioxidant Index score comes in, reflecting your carotenoid levels based on these categories:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSkin carotenoids metabolize and accumulate in tissues gradually, so short-term changes in fruit and vegetable intake won\u2019t immediately appear in the score,\u201d explains Dr. Hyojee Joung. \u201cOur research shows that increased carotenoid intake leads to a meaningful rise in skin\u00a0carotenoid levels after about\u00a0one to two weeks,\u00a0making the Index a valuable tool for tracking consistent, long-term dietary habits.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/002-From-Lab-to-Wrist-Samsung\u2019s-Industry-First-Nutrition-Tracking-Tech-for-Galaxy-Watch-Newsbody-e17.jpeg\"){kind=tracking}
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