Diabetes
Latest
This wearable uses tiny needles to analyze glucose levels
There are a lot of things that suck about being diabetic. At the top of the list is having to prick your finger several times per day to check your glucose level. Yes, I'm speaking from experience. Continuous glucose monitors that constantly beam stats to your phone via Bluetooth are already on the market, and the FDA recently approved the first automated insulin system for Type 1 diabetics. However, biomedical company PKvitality has a different solution. And it's one that you wear on your wrist.
Nikon and Verily team up to fight diabetes-related eye disease
Verily, Google's former Life Sciences division, teamed up with a French pharmaceutical company to help treat diabetes just a few months ago. Now, it has joined forces with Nikon to enhance the screening process for diabetic retinopathy and macular edema -- diabetes-related eye diseases and two of the leading causes of blindness in adults. They want to create machine learning-enabled retinal imaging technologies that can detect the diseases in their early stages. That way, doctors can step in and prevent the patients from going blind whenever possible.
Google's training AI to catch diabetic blindness before it's too late
Diabetes is no joke, regardless of what Wilford Brimley memes you've seen. The disease's associated foot ulcers can lead to amputation of the limb while diabetic retinopathy (DR) can rob people of their sight. Some 415 million diabetics worldwide are at risk of this visual affliction and many of those living with it in the developing world lack sufficient health care access to treat it. That's why Google is training its deep learning AI to spot DR before it becomes a problem -- and without the help of an on-site doctor.
FDA approves first automated insulin system for type 1 diabetes
For diabetes patients, managing blood sugar levels through insulin pens, needles or pumps is a necessary hassle -- but it might be far easier to handle going forward. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first automated insulated delivery device for type 1 diabetes, Medtronic's MiniMed 670G. The gadget uses a sensor to detect glucose levels under your skin every 5 minutes, and supplies just enough insulin to keep your blood sugar stable. While you do have to trigger a manual insulin dose after meals, you generally won't have to be as involved in the process as before.
Google sibling Verily to launch connected diabetes therapies
Google's parent company, Alphabet, is wasting no time helping to fund intelligent medical treatments. Just a month after it teamed up with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to pioneer so-called bioelectronic medicines capable of treating chronic disease, Verily Life Sciences (formerly Google Life Sciences), confirmed today that it has teamed up with French pharmaceutical company Sanofi to form a new joint venture that will help treat diabetes.
ICYMI: Pig poop could make more eco-friendly roadways
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The chemical makeup of pig manure is so similar to petroleum that it's being tested as a more bio-friendly way to make asphalt roads, while the leftover bits can be used as fertilizer. Since pigs already produce 43 billion gallons of manure each year, re-using some for road construction might be the smartest thing we've done with bioengineering yet. You can find our diabetes story from Cambridge here, the first banking chatbot from Kasisto here, and the selfie drone that's going to be everywhere, here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd
Adhesive 'patch' monitors blood glucose without needles
Researchers from Cardiff University's School of Engineering have developed a glucose monitor that doesn't require you to prick your finger. It doesn't even need blood after the initial calibration, because it uses microwave to keep track of your glucose levels. The device then sends the data it gathers to an accompanying app. Professor Adrian Porch, one of its creators, told the BBC that its microwave levels are very low and nowhere near what's used for cooking. "Think about a mobile phone," he said, "we're about a thousand times less than that level."
Scientists use nanoparticles to crush lingering fat cells
If you think losing weight is simply diet plus exercise, the equation is not so simple. A recent study of Biggest Loser participants showed that even if you manage to drop pounds, your body will fight you for years afterward to gain them back. That's why scientists have put so much effort into studying obesity in an effort to help us fight our own genes. Researchers from MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital think that our ubiquitous friends, nanoparticles, could deliver drugs to specific parts of the body, turning bad fat cells into good ones that burn fat.
Graphene-based patch can help monitor blood sugar levels
This see-through patch made of graphene and studded with gold isn't just a fashion accessory or temporary tattoo. It has the capability to monitor your blood sugar levels and deliver diabetes medication. The prototype, designed by Seoul National University assistant professor Dae-Hyeong Kim and a team of researchers, has sensors that can detect your temperature and the pH/chemical composition of your sweat. It then beams the data it collects to an accompanying smartphone app. If the system infers that you need medicine based on the state of your sweat, the app computes for the amount of medication (metformin for type II diabetes) you need. The patch's microneedle array then injects the right amount into your body.
New stem cell treatment could 'cure' type 1 diabetes
Researchers at MIT and Harvard figured out how to produce pancreatic beta cells -- the ones that produce insulin -- in large quantities back in 2014. The same intercollegiate team announced in the journal Nature on Monday that they've now managed to implant those cells into mice that have been genetically designed to suffer from Type 1 diabetes -- without the cells being rejected. Even more impressive, the diabetic mice produced their own insulin during the 174-day study period, eliminating the need for daily injections. Instead, patients would simply need "booster" injections of beta cells once every few years.
Google Life Sciences is working on another diabetes-monitoring project
A few weeks ago, Google's Life Sciences division (which falls under Alphabet) announced plans to work with Dexcom on a miniature glucose tracker. The division that handles Mountain View's health-minded efforts is also teaming up with Sanofi, a pharmaceutical company that makes diabetes medication. The collaboration aims to find new ways to monitor and treat the medical condition that affects nearly 30 million people in the US alone. The partnership includes the development of a small device that continuously gathers stats and software that uses the collected info to find new courses of treatment. Life Sciences head Andrew Conrad says Sanofi's experience with insulin could help Google build a connected device that could provide dosage recommendation or automatically adjust medication levels based on a patient's blood sugar readings. "With Sanofi we can complete the picture of how diabetes unfolds and try to interrupt that development through a proactive and preventive approach," Conrad explained. This is the latest in the Life Sciences division's ongoing medical projects, and now that there's a renewed focus, we're likely to see more partnerships in the near future. [Image credit: Chris Goodney/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
The Dexcom G5 lets diabetics track blood sugar on their phone
Keeping tabs on a body's glucose levels is a way of life for diabetics -- a ritual performed several times a day, often before or after meals. It's an essential chore, but it often requires special hardware for reading blood test strips or stand-alone receivers for patch-devices that read blood sugar levels under the skin. Thankfully, a better way is coming: the FDA recently approved an iOS-compatible glucose meter that can send constant updates directly to your phone.
Google's Life Sciences division to build a miniature glucose tracker
A pin-prick from a finger stick is a daily ritual for about 10 percent of the American population. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29.1 million people in the United States have diabetes. In most cases, the condition requires long-term medication and lifestyle changes that are based on the patient's daily glucose levels. Dexcom, a California-based company known for its diabetes-management devices, has partnered with Google's Life Sciences division (now a subsidiary of the much-talked about Alphabet) to develop a miniature product line of its existing continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system. The new disposable version of the slap-on sensor could potentially replace the bulk of blood-monitoring devices.
The NHS wants to give wearables to hospital patients
To cut costs and improve patient care, the NHS is looking to technology more than ever before. Under its latest proposals, Britain's healthcare service wants to introduce free wi-fi across all of its hospitals, giving doctors and nurses the ability to use tablets on the wards. The hope is that this will reduce paper waste and speed up administrative tasks, giving staff some extra time to visit their patients. It also opens up the possibility for patients to wear wearables, such as skin sensors. Patients with diabetes, for instance, could then be monitored around the clock to help doctors spot early signs of deterioration.
Diabetes app shares your blood sugar levels with strangers
Living with diabetes means tracking your meals and insulin level. The new One Drop app for iOS (an Android version is planned) aims to not only make that monitoring easier, but also use the logged information to help the larger diabetic community. The brainchild of Razorfish co-founder and diabetic Jeff Dachis, the app tracks food intake, insulin levels, medication and exercise. Users can then share that information (either publicly or anonymously) with other One Drop users to help the community learn from one another. They can also encourage each other via likes and stickers and use the gathered data to help inform their own regimen. The app is currently free, but Dachis told TechCrunch a monthly subscription is coming later in the year that would include a stylish bluetooth-enabled glucose meter and test strips.
Here's how doctors will test Apple's new patient tracking features
Apple briefly hinted last week that hospitals would soon try out HealthKit's patient tracking technology, and we now know how those experiments are going to work. According to Reuters, both Duke University and Stanford University are weeks away from launching trial programs that will let doctors monitor vital stats with patients' permission. In the Stanford test, young Type 1 diabetes sufferers will carry both an iPod touch and a smart glucose meter to keep tabs on their blood sugar levels. There are fewer details surrounding Duke's pilot, but it will track the blood pressure and weight of those with cancer or heart disease.
Engadget Daily: 3D motion capture, the tough reality of sapphire displays and more!
Today, we take a look at the history behind 3D motion capture animations, scratch-test a nearly indestructible sapphire display, watch iOS users join the AR war of Ingress and learn about a $20 chip that detects diabetes. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
$20 reusable chip detects type-1 diabetes quickly and cheaply
Researchers from Stanford University have developed a microchip that could make it much less costly to diagnose type-1 diabetes. The debilitating disease often strikes children, and the quicker it's detected, the easier it is to treat. The current test, however, is a time-consuming, costly burden for both hospitals and patients, requiring radioactive materials and several days of time. The new chip uses gold nanoparticles that cause fluorescent materials to glow when telltale antibodies are detected. Unlike the old tests, only a pinprick of blood is required, and the $20 chip can be reused up to 15 times. Such diagnostics could compliment other diabetes research, like Google's glucose detecting smart contacts, along with potential treatments or even cures. Researchers said the test will be particularly useful in countries where the standard test is too expensive, and are now working to launch it globally. [Image credit: Stanford University/Norbert von der Groeben]
The power of tears: Why Google has its eye on smart contact lenses
When the cronut craze swept across New York in early spring of last year, the only major inconvenience associated with Dominique Ansel's novel culinary confection was the pain of waiting in line to get it. For a responsible person living with Type 1 (or Type 2) diabetes, like my good friend Cara, that wait time for a hip baked good would've been compounded by a few more irritating factors. First, there'd be a necessary finger prick test (administered in the open by an always on-hand glucometer) to measure blood sugar levels an hour before eating. Then, a guesstimate would need to be calculated of just how many carbs that precious SoHo sweet contained, followed by an adjustment of insulin delivery levels on a waist-worn pump. And, finally, a follow-up finger prick test would need to be done two hours after eating the cronut to once again establish a necessary insulin base line. That is true inconvenience. That is life with diabetes. And as you might imagine, not all diabetics are this disciplined. But Google wants to change that... with contact lenses.
Injectable 'smart sponge' controls diabetes, presents new targeted drug delivery method
Diabetics might appreciate high-tech glucose sensors when they're available, but the option for other advanced treatments is certainly intriguing. Take, for example, this new method developed by North Carolina State University researchers that uses injectable sponge to control blood sugar levels. No, it's not the same sponge you use to clean at home -- the material is made out of a substance taken from crab and shrimp shells called chitosan. This spongy material forms a matrix that's approximately 250 micrometers in diameter, where a rise in blood sugar causes a reaction in the pores that leads to the drug's release. Fighting diabetes is but one of the things this miraculous sponge can be used for; developed further, it could even "intelligently" release anticancer drugs whenever the chitosan reacts to tumors or cancer cells in close proximity. Seems like medical technology is getting smarter with each passing day.
