Project: From Continuous Glucose Monitoring to Cont Glucose Microneedle Monitoring for efficient open & closed-loop diabetes treatment
A significant improvement in the treatment of diabetes is about to emerge with the combination of continuous glucose monitoring and insulin delivery. While the injection of insulin is already available in multiple forms (pens and pumps being the most current forms, with potential inhalation, nasal spray and/or oral under development), the measurement of blood glucose was, until recently, only available in the form of blood sampling on glucose strip (mostly electrochemical strips). Since a few years, CGM has appeared which is about to change significantly the efficacy of the treatment (measured in HbA1c level). CGM sensors reCO, however, intrusive (a long needle reCOs in place multiple days, together with a large wireless device attached) and, therefore, inconvenient and sometimes painful. CGM sensors also require multiple calibrations (almost one per day) to ensure accurate measurements._x000D_Over the last ten years, Debiotech and KTH have been successfully working on microneedles based on MEMS (Micro-electro-mechanical-System) technology originating from KTH. Those needles where primarily intended for drug and vaccine injection in the intra-dermal space, combining a soft and painless injection approach with a much less aggressive tissue access. Those microneedles have demonstrated their ability to inject drugs with no pain, while getting a precise access to the interstitial fluid space of the skin with no leakage. Clinical studies on humans are currently ongoing in the US and in Switzerland._x000D_Debiotech, a medical device company specialized in the development of innovative products, is currently developing a MEMS based micropump for the delivery of insulin. This highly miniaturized pump (the JewelPUMP) enables a 7-days’ treatment from a single patch pump which is wirelessly connected to a dedicated smartphone integrating all programming capabilities, as well as telemedicine. Debiotech has also conducted clinical trials with the JewelPUMP on diabetic patients, including pharmacokinetic studies which have resulted in new algorithms for the development of a closed-loop system (Artificial Pancreas). _x000D_Brighter, a medical device company specialized in diabetes, is currently developing an integrated device incorporating a BGM (Blood Glucose Measurement) sensor and a pen insulin injection device for diabetic patients._x000D_KTH Royal Institute of Technology conducts research on MEMS-based sensors and will develop an integrated glucose sensor for the microneedle system earlier developed with Debiotech._x000D_The purpose of bringing together the expertise of all three Ps is to develop a new CGM technology, based on MEMS microneedles and glucose sensor technology, which would be less intrusive, less painful and more accurate over time, to combine glucose measurement with insulin delivery. This would result in both a closed-loop system with a patch pump and an open-loop system with a pen injector, all based on a CGM2 which would mean less fear, less pain, more convenience and more accuracy. In all cases, the CGM2 would be directly integrated into the patch-pump or the pen, to make it the ultimate diabetes therapy management device.
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Acronym
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GLUCO-TOUCH
(Reference Number: 8573)
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Duration
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01/09/2013 - 31/08/2016
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Project Topic
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This project aims at developing a new minimal invasive sensor for glucose monitoring based on painless microneedles earlier developed by the Ps. As compared to state-of-the-art technology, microneedle-based glucose measurements offer painless monitoring without the need of blood samples.
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Network
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Eurostars
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Call
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Eurostars Cut-Off 10
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Project partner
