Hydrogels of acrylic acid were produced through solution free radical polymerization at 70 degrees C. The materials obtained were put in contact with D-fructose solution and the swelling behaviour was registered. The swollen hydrogels were immersed in distilled water and the D-fructose released was quantified in real time by a low-cost polarized light optoelectronic detection system. A simplified mathematical model was developed in order to represent the system under study. This model was tested against experimental data, showing good agreement. Additionally, the effect of the model parameters on the prediction profiles was evaluated.