Ok, maybe a little bit of big marketing in calling it an artificial pancreas.
This is an incremental improvement on existing insulin pump tech right?
This is an incremental improvement on existing insulin pump tech right?
That being said, commoditization of a fully closed loop insulin delivery system would be a godsend for the millions of people living with completely uncontrolled diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes accounts for between 30-40% of raw healthcare spend every year, and it's growing. Primary care like this will keep patients adhering to it out of the hospital and improve their lives immeasurably.
So no, I wouldn't compare this to an insulin pump alone. It's like comparing the latest self driving cars out of Waymo to the cruise control on a 1994 Corolla.
The results (66% TIR 70-180mg/dL) aren't incredible, but believe it or not are far better than most diabetics are able to get. For reference, a person without diabetes will typically have numbers in the 95% or higher range.
We're currently finishing a study in the hospital to improve on these results in a big way!
It certainly sounds like it. I've only read the linked article and haven't dug elsewhere but this seems like a new algorithm for closed loop systems (Tandem has one; Medtronic has one; there may be others). Technology like this is amazing for diabetics (am Type 1 and have a tandem/dexcom closed loop system and love it) but is nothing like an artificial pancreas.
My experiences in healthcare IT/INFOSEC combined with all the blatantant anti-consumer behavior of a lot of these different equipment manufacturers have left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I legitimately dont trust them to vet their bluetooth stack. Or to pick a competant serices comapny to do it either.
I dont trust the judgement of the "accredited" firms that pay for play coach them into many of these certifications that are required to sell/manufacture these devices.
I dont trust the fact I cannot personally see the logic/code that drives the devices decision making process.
I dont trust them on the principal of the move twords smart phone management of everything. Even if the device itself is secure. Im being forced to extract my personal health information and store it all at someloint in plaintext on another device that for all intents and purposes for the average american is horribly insecure and likely is already loaded with carrier spyware. BTW most of the management apps for cgms REQUIRE google play services.(No safteynet check to verify the application itself from what I can tell.)
I dont like the fact that I likely wouldnt be able to repair the device in the event of the manufacturer ceases to exist.
Its not that someone wants to kill me, but the idea of making the likelihood some asshole with a decent antenna and a laptop could send me to the hospital or worse a non 0 chance kind of seems silly to me in general.
TL;DR Preverse incentives mixed with a sense of general apathy twords "doing the right thing" are a big turn off for me.
Edit: I'd suggest taking a look at Tidepool Loop which recently got FDA clearance. It might align with your interests/requirements (though still requires a big-brand insulin pump/CGM)