NEWS FLASH: SF Design Firm Unveils the Diabetes "Charmr"

While Apple is touting their new iLife, I'm positively tickled to announce that an alternate organization on the cutting edge of consumer design has taken up my challenge to Steve Jobs to develop a diabetes management device that blows our socks off.  In terms of sleek design and unprecedented ease-of-use, that is.

The company is San Francisco-based design agency Adaptive Path, a small but creative powerhouse that's accomplished some eye-popping redesigns for the likes of Blogger, Flickr, Crayola, Cathay Pacific and even the United Nations.

They first contacted me back in June with this note: "We were so inspired by your blog posting that we have put together a small team to work on your challenge."  I thought it might be a joke.  But a month later, I was invited in for lunch and a preview of their research.  What greeted me were walls and walls of white board, covered with scribbled phrases and dozens more post-it notes with even more scribbled phrases, all about the hassles of living with diabetes: the numbers, the frustrations, the many inconvenient and incompatible devices we're expected to use.  There were also dozens of pinned-up photos of PWDs giving testimonials -- holding their devices, jogging, laughing, injecting, changing infusion sets.  I was almost taken aback at the sheer amount of "homework" the firm had already done. I gave them my two cents about how we'd all kill for a smaller, sleeker control system that actually looks and feels good. 

The resulting design was announced today (!), just a short while ago, at a national event called User Experience Week 2007 in Washington, DC.

Meet the Charmr. Watch the YouTube video below.

 

At this point, the Charmr is a prototype for the future only, but what a concept!

The "Charmr" itself is an iPod-styled controller unit for a combined insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor system. 

Designed expressly to be "fun, small, flexible, and cool," the Charmr actually has the look of a combo iPod and USB memory stick.  You can choose where to wear it -- on your wrist, on a keychain, or on a cord as a necklace.  Downloading both your glucose trends and insulin dosing data is as easy as plugging the USB port end directly into your computer.

The insulin reservoir for the "patch pump" and sensor for the CGM are set on your body together in a single soft, skin-colored shell. It's wireless and waterproof, and delivers on the "looks good and feels comfortable" imperative, Adaptive Path promises.

I know, I know: promises, promises...

But all the technology they're forecasting already exists today. Now all we need is some established-yet-forward-thinking pharmaceutical company to invest in making the Charmr dream come true.

Comments

[Carey]

supercool.

[Tim]

I'm not all that impressed. It's still a GIANT adhesive patch with multiple canulas sticking in your gut. My crusty old 507C has one small point of contact with my body, and I can detach that whenever I want. It's small enough that I can insert the infusion into my leg beneath my pants or shorts, so I'm not left with a gigantic white spot after a day in the sun.

The problem with the pump isn't its interface to control it, it's its interface with your body. There's nothing difficult or embarrassing about pulling a fob out of your pocket and pressing a couple buttons. But trying to play sports, be intimate or get a tan with an adhesive bandage the size my hand stuck to my gut is ridiculous. That's where the sexy design is needed.

[Allison]

Tim,

I kind of agree with you. But the adhesive patch is probably optional and if the resevoir, set and sensor were small enough, it probably would be no more different than unclipping the pump and having the set remain adhered to your skin. If it was also convenient to wear on your thigh or your lower back, you might not notice it as much during sex or sports. This is just a prototype, so I'm sure the actual interface will change between now and whenever it launches (presumably 2-3 years).

[Eric Link]

Hi Amy -

A neat design study. Certainly 'interesting' but not a great surge ahead. The reality is that here at Diabetech we do these a couple of times a year related to new product development. We have our CAD designer complete a model, then get an SLA made, then put in electronics to make a real working model. This is usually accomplished over the course of a week or two .
The hard part follows - fine tuning, getting real feedback in studies and trials (http://diabetech.net/study.right.now.html), and then submitting for FDA approval. Getting all the pieces right takes far more than a design study. It takes years of dedication to get a product to market that has all the ingredients needed for a great product. There are delicate balances of product liability and user friendliness to consider as well (consult w/ your lawyer here ;) So it's easy to crank something out on a whiteboard and do a mock up, another to create a working prototype, and yet another to create a real product that can be marketed. You should also realize people like us and others have been working toward this goal for years (another example is pelikan technologies http://www.pelikantechnologies.com/).

[Amalas]

The adhesive patch thing really isn't that much different than say, the Omnipod, which certain people ;) wear and love.

[Manny Hernandez]

This is AWESOME!!!!!!! You are pushing the industry into reinventing itself, girl!!

Way to go!

[Anne]

I think it is awesome! Let's get it done. I am happy to see a computer interface that is similar to others we use instead of some obscure data format that requires some custom cables and software. Of course there are regulatory requirements and I don't think the patch thing will work yet (CGM sensors can't be that close to infusion sites). But I would be so happy to get rid of my strings and huge purse to carry my Dexcom, 2 meters, and other diabetes crap. Bring it on! The more competition in this area, the better, in my opinion!

Eric, I'd be interested to hear more about what you are developing at Pelikan Technologies...

[Justin]

Wow. I a impressed that someone would devote the development time into coming up with this concept. It's awesome.

I hope that Adaptive Path takes the lead on this and looks for manufacturers outside of the pharmaceutical world. Pharms may not want to bite.

Let's really revoultionize

[Eric Link]

Hi Anne -

The links in my post had a problem, here are the correct links:

http://diabetech.net/study.right.now.html

http://www.pelikantechnologies.com/

I'm a co-founder here at Diabetech... Pelikan is another example of a company that has been doing what Amy is advocating here for years.

[michael]

(sarcasm = ON position)
god forbid a design start from the perspective of the user experience

[AmyT]

I suppose I neglected to point out the obvious: the revolutionary part of this is the controller device, the Charmr itself, whereas the infusion site/adhesive in their current form are nothing to write home about.

[birdie]

What I love about this it is puts a viable, alternative idea out there for people and pump companies to react to. This concept helps us move beyond the place of "taking what we get" or being viewed as "complainers" that can be dismissed, to a new type of discussion. One where the bar has been raised on what could be better than the status quo.

Huge props to you Amy, for changing the game by articulating the issue and getting it heard. It's absolutely amazing to me to see the power of one voice through the relatively new landscape of blogs! You've made such a difference!

And if you ever need any other insights or design feedback, I'd love to help in any way possible.

So very cool!

[Mary]

That patch is the most hideous thing ever. Not in a million years would I choose to wear anything that ugly 24/7. It doesn't matter how cool the controller happens to be! In fact, the more I see of the "patch pumps", the more I wish someone was just working on making the conventional pumps smaller. I'd rather conceal a pump in my clothing that use clothing to conceal a lump attached to my body.

[chuck]

Congratulations on one of your dreams getting one step closer to reality. And as one who'll benefit, I'd like to thank you ahead of time!

[Allison]

I agree, but the actual "patch pump" can change design. I wouldn't mind have just the resevoir connected to me in a very small, thin box that didn't look so bulky when I wore a skirt or a dress (I have yet to find a place where I can really hide an insulin pump). Then you could use the Charmr to do all the controls with. I'm sure you could figure out different options for people between now and when it actually launches. Remember, this is a concept, not the end-all-be-all. I would be shocked if they didn't change a few things based on the feedback they're getting.

[Ed]

I don't think the infusion site will change until the industry figures out a semi-permenanet insulin delivery device that does not increase the chance of infection. If a some sort of carteradge could be screwed into the skin every few days it would eliminate the need for multiple patches.

[Kerri.]

In this sort of scenario, I think that "more is more." The more attention paid to developing better technology, the more often better technology will be developed. (That sentence is a grammatical nightmare, but you get the picture.)

I love seeing any and all advancements in treatment. Keep 'em coming! :)

[Rosalind]

I agree with Kerri. I, too, think that the more they work on improvements, the more likely they are to happen. I'm dumbfounded by how primitive the technology is for an ileostomy (which I live with) and I can only think that it's because no one sees the dollar signs. Amy, you're doing a great job with moving things up front!

[Kent]

I really like the design. I agree with other's comments that there are many companies coming up with similar ideas. My question is where are they then?

There have been a lot of great improvements over the years with pump and glucose monitoring technology, but they still don't handle the "usability factor" which is the key issue.

Give me a pump that interfaces with a continues glucose monitor system that is actually wearable in the real world and I'm on board. This concept idea looks good, but I would want to see what the size of this patch actually is. But for me even existing pumps would be fine if it ties into a similar interface of this Charmr FOB device with continual glucose monitoring.

[Jamie]

Cool, but all these things are already possible. The Minimed paradigm pump delivers insulin, and there is a continuous glucose monitor available with it. It sends glucose readings wirelessly to the pump for real time reading. And all of the data is downloadable, so you can review everything.

[JasonJayhawk]

Great, now I fear that as soon as a DME company comes up with a new insulin pump that has any sort of design components that look close to "the Charmr", they'll be sued for patent infringement. Woo-hoo!

Good press for Adaptive Path by taking on this project!

[Dan 2]

Concept Plans and the "Charmr".
With any technical equipment, one needs to consider the downtime (not working). Having worn an insulin pump for over 9 years, it is a wonder the "things" that can go wrong. Added in my compliment of tools is a Precision Xtra meter that reads blood glucose, BG, AND blood ketones. BG can start to rise for a number of reasons. Warm weather, subtle changes in health, allergy reactions, purity, strength and potency of the insulin, small blood leakage around the soft inset are just a few that can have an effect on insulin absorption in the blood stream. High BG with a Ketone headach can be a real pain and the sooner that BG number return to normal the better. Looking forward to a release date! Keep up the good work Amy and have a great day. Dan

[Reg Bertrand]

WOW!!!! that is impressive.....let's hope they move forward with this....

[M]

Cool start and application of current technologies.

Might I offer a design enhancement? ... include a trend tracker - a Charmr that "gets to know you" and suggests specific treatment.

[dr alan flores]

This is really a very cool device. When I see this kind of technology I feel happy and sad at the same time.

In México, this technology may take several years to be available. We are still trying to make the "big" insulin pump available for some people.

Hopefully we can see it soon.

Congratulations Amy!