A new approach to diabetes

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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.

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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.”