April 17, 2017

A new approach to treating diabetes

Caoline Newman | Ingenuity

panoramic landscape of Charlottesville, VA

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Asking More of Medicine

Tools such as insulin pumps help manage diabetes, but still require patients to monitor their blood glucose levels and deliver insulin dosages. UVA’s Boris Kovatchev and others saw the potential for a better solution.

Developed by UVA start-up Type Zero Technologies Inc., the artificial pancreas automatically oversees and adjusts insulin delivery. At the center of the system is a reconfigured smartphone linked wirelessly to a blood-sugar monitor and an insulin pump. The system also links to a monitoring site for assistance via telemedicine.

The continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor is an electrode that is placed in the skin to measure glucose levels throughout the day.
Blood sugar readings are sent from the CGM receiver to the smartphone where the artificial pancreas app lives. The app uses an advanced algorithm to calculate custom insulin dosages to monitor and regulate blood glucose levels.

Asking More of Mathematics

Advanced algorithms are what allow the artificial pancreas to monitor, predict and regulate blood glucose levels. It’s the first time that mathematics are being applied this way to diabetes management, and the approach has the potential to eradicate hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic episodes.

“For those who have diabetes, I hope this can give them much more carefree and stable lives,” Kovatchev says. “The complications of diabetes are severe, and the only proven treatment is stable blood sugar control. If we can ensure that, that will lead to better, longer, healthier lives.”

When We Ask More, We Move Medicine into the Future

Person using a mobile device app to monitor blood sugar levels