Cambridge Consultants develop NFC diabetes management device

If near field communication (NFC) is good enough for handling your money, then surely it must be good enough for managing vital health information, no? At least that's what Cambridge Consultants is promising, recently unveiling an NFC-based concept device developed in conjunction with Philips that could potentially be used by people to manage diabetes. The system consists of a wireless glucometer and an insulin pump which interact with each other to determine the proper dose of insulin by simply waving the two devices near each other, working just as well underneath clothing. And while they've focused solely on diabetes thus far, the researchers say near field communications could potentially be applied to a wide range of medicinal applications, including pain relief, asthma and respiratory care, and gastric electrical stimulation therapy, among others.

[Ron SMith @ Aug 23rd 2006 9:33AM]

You expect me to wear a big ass thing like this on another infusion site? The only way Id be interested is when they integrate it in a pump, I have enough scar sites from an insulin pump as it is.

[jiltedcitizen @ Aug 23rd 2006 10:01AM]

Scar sites? From a pump? That does look big, my dads is about a medium/large pager size. I want to know when they will incorporate the glucose meter in the pump. No need to prick your finger.

[Mike @ Aug 23rd 2006 10:02AM]

Ron,

Medtronic Minimed just introduced a continuous glucose monitor that transmits wirelessly to the pump. I just ordered mine a few weeks back. You do have to have another site (has not been fully integrated yet) but at least you don't have to carry two devices and you get the advantage of having a BG reading every 5 mins.

[noobs @ Aug 23rd 2006 10:02AM]

I don't know about you but whenever you got tubes and shit coming out of you on a permanent basis, I would be greatly concerned with sterility.

[Mike @ Aug 23rd 2006 10:06AM]

noobs . . . do you where a pump? do you have diabetes? there are no sterility issues once the infusion set is put in. there are sterility issues with needles. also those "tubes and shit coming out of you" keep me healthy and alive.

[I am Jack's complete lack of surprise @ Aug 23rd 2006 10:33AM]

I hope Liberty Medical gets these so Wilford Brimley can show them off in a new commercial.

[jiltedcitizen @ Aug 23rd 2006 10:36AM]

My dad has no permanent tubes. He can switch his from side to side and put the tube in anywhere he wants. It is just a plastic patch that has a thin rubber tube that goes into the stomach. A device with a needle sticks the patch on.

[Mike @ Aug 23rd 2006 10:43AM]

exactly, you switch your site every 3 or 4 days or so - after your pump runs out of insulin. Ron, if you are seeing scars etc. you may not be changing your site enough. Just a suggestion.

[Zach Marshall @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:11PM]

everyone else in my family is diabetic, i know it'll happen to me soon enough. On my sisters birthday, for the past 18 years shes always wished for the same thing (to find a cure for diabetes).

she did have a pump, but i think it just finally became too much of a hassle, or it started irritating her because she doesn't wear it anymore.

im really not understanding this device though? her pump determined just how much to give her and it looked basically like a beeper at her side with a small tube.

shes also had the watch. ugh that was a disaster.