You know those jokes about taking your coffee by IV? Maybe they’re not quite so far-fetched anymore.
Joule is a bracelet with a time-release patch on its underside that releases a cup of coffee’s worth of caffeine over four hours. It’s important to note: this is an Indiegogo project, so not only isn’t it available yet, it doesn’t really exist in the way that most of us understand “existence.” There’s hope, though. The company has raised 65% of its funding goal. Until then, we’ll have to be satisfied with the extra-large go cup.
“Joule was created to help caffeine consumers emphasize the highs of their caffeine consumption experience while eliminating the lows,” said Adam Paulin, a Joule cofounder, “all while looking stylish.”
And style is oh so important while getting your buzz on.
The idea is great, like those old jokes about taking your coffee by IV, only without having to drag a pole around with you. The name is clever — a joule is a (derived) unit of energy — but the follow-through might be a little off. What caffeine lover do you know who would be happy with only one cup’s worth in four hours? Would two patches be like drinking two cups of coffee over a four-hour period?
Those are questions that the FDA might be interested in. But as it happens, Joule’s pitch addresses safety — it’s true that transdermal patches are not new — but never quite addresses the regulatory issue.