Relief coming for diabetics

Want to hear about a simple way that you could help young diabetics to better manage their condition? Please read on.

Although diabetes was first identified over six centuries ago, there is still no cure for it. And although people living with diabetes must monitor their condition daily, it is still only possible to do so using invasive techniques.

That will soon change, when ATP tenant AiMedics releases the first commercial version of its HypoMon system.

For those who aren’t familiar with this common disease, a quick tutorial: Diabetes is the failure of the pancreas to produce a hormone called insulin, to control blood sugar (glucose) levels. If the amount of glucose in the blood gets too high (hyperglycaemia) or too low (hypoglycaemia) the condition can be life-threatening.

“Diabetes affects around five per cent of the population,” Dr Nejhdeh Ghevondian, Chief Technical Officer at AiMedics, explains. “Of these, 20 per cent are type 1 and 80 per cent are type 2.

“Type 1 affects young children and early adolescents, or around 150,000 people in Australia. Type 2 is age, lifestyle and obesity related.”

Current detection is through a finger prick test, which draws a small sample of blood. “The average diabetic will prick their fingers four times a day and their nerve endings start to deteriorate,” says Nejhdeh.

AiMedics was established in 2001 to commercialise technology developed by Nejhdeh at University of Technology, Sydney. The primary aim of the business is to release a device that detects hypoglycaemia in type 1 insulin-dependent diabetics, which is non-invasive.

“Our focus is childhood diabetes, or young type 1s,” says AiMedics CEO Victor Skladnev.

Between 2 am and 4 am each night, blood sugar naturally drops to low levels. For many diabetics, the fear alone of having a hypoglycaemic attack while they are sleeping can drive their sugar levels too high.

“The HypoMon is designed to reduce this fear,” explains Victor. And it employs a unique approach. “We use the body’s own sensors.”

The HypoMon does not measure actual glucose in the blood, but tracks the symptoms of the body responding to low blood sugar levels instead. These are a cascade of characteristics, or pattern of change, specific to hypoglycaemia such as shifts in heart rate trends and perspiration.

This revolutionary system comprises a sensor, transmitter and monitor. The HypoMon device is strapped to the body, close to the heart, and triggers an alarm in a bedside unit if a problem is detected. The bell sounds and treatment can be administered within minutes of blood sugar levels dropping.

AiMedics has already conducted independently reviewed and verified clinical trials, which were a major validation of its commercial-ready prototype. These compared the HypoMon with other invasive devices and confirmed that it is at least as good, usually performing much more effectively.

Traditional invasive devices cost between $3,000 and $8,000. Within one to two years, once further trials to gain regulatory approval have been completed, the HypoMon will sell around the world for under $1,000.

And you can help to make this happen. AiMedics is keen to hear from people who would like to take part in its in-house testing.

You don’t need to be diabetic. You do need to be aged between 18 and 45, and available to wear a HypoMon belt for 10 to 15 minutes, to assess its comfort. If you are interested, please call Francesco La Tella on 02 9209 4514.

Your small effort will provide a huge benefit for diabetics and their families. Relief is coming.

aimedics.com

Image: HypoMon belt, with a transmitter in the pouch.