A research team from Worcester Polytechnic Institute won a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a smart phone app for people with advanced diabetes.
The proposed application, currently named "sugar," will link a patient’s smart phone, glucose meter and scale to track and archive blood sugar levels and weight. Patients with foot ulcers will be able to use the phone’s camera to capture and analyze images of the lesions.
"The reality is that nearly all the management of a person’s diabetes is done by the patient, away from a doctor’s office or clinic. So we envision this new application as a way to help these patients achieve better outcomes," Bengisu Tulu, project leader and assistant professor at WPI said in prepared remarks.
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Sugar uses algorithms and will prompt patients with specific alerts based on their blood sugar and weight readings over time.
"The application will provide relevant, personalized feedback for the patient that encourages them to make good decisions," said Tulu.
The four-year project will be organized through WPI’s Healthcare Delivery Institute with diabetes specialists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
The first two years are slated for technological research and development. If a prototype is developed as planned, the project’s final two years will see clinical trials of the the new application at UMass Medical School.
Sanofi’s (NYSE:SNY) iPhone glucose meter, the iBGStar, landed 510(k) clearance from the FDA last week, making it the first iPhone glucose meter to win a nod from the federal watchdog agency.
The company’s website describes the meter as "is the first available blood glucose meter that seamlessly connects to the Apple iPhone and iPod touch for the flexibility to manage your diabetes whenever, wherever."
Sanofi’s device, which connects the AgaMatrix glucose monitoring technology to iPhones and iPods, won CE Mark clearance earlier this year.
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