Comments on: Design Challenge: Envisioning the iPhone As a Diabetes-Life Device

By: How to make your Continuous Glucometer even better | A Sweet Life

How to make your Continuous Glucometer even better | A Sweet Life — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:26:16 +0000

[...] that’s integrated into the iPhone. As Amy over at Diabetes Mine pointed out, that would be awesome. [...]

By: Amy Tenderich, A Champion of Diabetes Awareness | A Sweet Life

Amy Tenderich, A Champion of Diabetes Awareness | A Sweet Life — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:40:36 +0000

[...] received over 150 fantastic ideas this year, so it’s hard to pick just a few. As you know, our Grand Prize winner was a very clever system for turning your iPhone or any smart mobile phone into the controller for [...]

By: D-Newbie

D-Newbie — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:58:14 +0000

In reply to above, firstly the documentation states it won’t be limited to the IPhone and more importantly, the email feature is one of the most important aspects, especially for parents of diabetic children and caregivers, not to mention the fact that you can email the data to your doctor or NP. This is wonderful technology that even outdistances the Promised LifeScan app, which I can’t find anything about since March. My only problem is that I can’t afford those expensive phones or I’d definitely have it, being the tech-nut that I am.

By: Timeline: The iPhone as medical tool | mobihealthnews

Timeline: The iPhone as medical tool | mobihealthnews — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:41:56 +0000

[...] May 1, 2009: Winner of the $10,000 DiabetesMine Challenge effectively turns the iPhone into the controller for a combined glucose meter + insulin pump. More [...]

By: Jules

Jules — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:46:52 +0000

I don’t understand why no one includes the I-Pod touch in all this. It’s essentially the same thing as the I-Phone except it’s not a cell phone. You can use it as a mini computer with it’s automatic wifi feature. Almost all of the apps in the app store can be used on the touch. So, for $299 you can have a touch without having to sign a contract with AT&T…and no monthly fees. So please include the touch in your reviews. Thanks.

By: Remi

Remi — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:55:54 +0000

Great design!
Thanks for your valuable contribution.

By: pking

pking — Sat, 23 May 2009 07:56:24 +0000

Amy – I wrote a long reply yesterday (Thursday) evening and find that it hasn’t been posted. Did you get it and moderate it for some reason, or did it just not go through? It’s happened to me twice in the past few months when I’ve tried to post here.

In a nutshell: the hardware design in the prototype is pretty far from something that would work, given the placement of the data/power connection on the iPhone. The main innovation that I see in the prototype is the lancet+strip storage device, which is pretty cool. That combined with the remove for the OmniPod or a pump with integrated blood monitor would probably be better than the need for an iPhone+case. More than anything we really need connectivity between devices and much, much better software. The bulk of the hardware isn’t the problem, but none of the interfaces we use are half as good as they could be.

By: AmyT

AmyT — Fri, 22 May 2009 04:08:50 +0000

@Ed, Lauren: I hear what you guys are saying, but this was a competition to design a helpful product, not to twist the laws of science. Unfortunately, all the non-invasive glucose metering technologies presented were — according to our experts — methods that have been tried before and failed for various reasons. Meanwhile, these students have designed something that can help improve our daily existence with diabetes NOW. And the idea is visionary enough not to have been done yet

By: Lauren

Lauren — Fri, 22 May 2009 02:58:26 +0000

I agree with the comment above — to me this is nothing new, and it’s certainly not anything I’d use, or be interested in learning more about. More of the same, in my opinion. I used to keep up on the latest stuff out there but it just became too disappointing. I’m waiting for the real breakthroughs.

By: Ed

Ed — Fri, 22 May 2009 02:53:42 +0000

I’m actually dissapointed in what the pair came up with. Having spent a week in Stockholm studying design and the past year in a top MBA program, I had hoped this competition would push the envelope of what is possible. Is developing an I-Phone app great for diabetic management, unquesitonably YES! However, that takes existing technology and combines it to make a more functional product; but in the end doesn’t improve blood sugar management – all three of those things exist as a stand alone.

Granted, this is coming from someone who didn’t enter the design competition, but I didn’t enter it because I do not yet have the technological knowledge to design what is really needed – a blood sugar meter that is in the blood stream that provides constant blood sugar readings. Until the technology exists to provide by the second blood sugar readings, the itterative process of combining technologies will not create the break through we all need.

Great work on this! But it doesn’t redefine how blood sugar management can be achieved.