New AI Pancreas Can Help With Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes has been a challenge for patients with managing their insulin levels, which is the role of the pancreas. As a result, they must rely on insulin pumps or pods. The pods can deliver personalized doses of rapid-acting insulin based on the rates a person programs into a Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM) device.
Scientists have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) pancreas which can help children as young as one year old with managing their blood sugar levels. The device uses AI to continuously monitor blood glucose levels and deliver insulin based on the number. With the associated CamAPS FX app, patients have an “artificial pancreas” which automatically adjusts the amount of insulin delivered based on real-time readings of glucose levels. The levels are sent to the app which calculates and delivers how much insulin a person needs so their glucose levels are within normal range.
The app developer, a professor from Cambridge University, explains that predictions are made based on past experience and patterns. It learns how much insulin children need, and at different times of the day, based on their exercise and food. The information is then uploaded to the cloud so both the patient and healthcare provider can look for data and patterns regarding blood sugar spikes. Once the app determines these patterns, it can adjust the correct amount of insulin a child needs at a given time.
This AI Pancreas is just one healthcare app, and the general healthcare app market is expected to boom over the next seven years. An article from Fortune Business Insights explains that the global market grew 65.7% in 2020, with an estimated value of $38.89 billion in 2021. By 2028, the market is expected to be worth $314.60 billion. Health apps are gaining traction and visibility on Apple and Google Play app stores, allowing consumers to access them easily which will drive usability and profits.
The medical app market owes a lot to COVID-19, explains Business Wire. People started focusing more on their health and since they were home and unable to visit their doctors or gyms in person, they turned to medical apps to guide them on their wellness journeys.
Due to the pandemic, there became interest in creating new products. Drew Mendelow, a 14 year old boy, was interested in creating medical apps, specifically for Type 1 diabetes. The teen was diagnosed with diabetes in 2020, yet he was unsatisfied with the lack of information and tools surrounding the disease, so he programmed an app to help. The app was downloaded more than 10,000 times in the first few months of its release.
Although there is currently no cure for diabetes, it is a reassurance for parents of children with diabetes to know that their child can manage their health safely through the new artificial AI pancreas and corresponding app.
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Photo Caption: The world of AI is constantly expanding
Photo Credit: Pixabay
