Daily injections required for diabetic patients may now become easier due new product development firm Cambridge Consultants. The KiCoPen is a device designed to be more accurate in the dosage capture, and can send data to a smartphone using an app. One of the innovations of the device is that it does not require the use of a battery, and it is aimed to become the first injector pen on the market to combine all of these abilities.
The purpose of the device is to enable patients to confirm the injection event, as well as the exact dosage of insulin delivered, by reducing the time of delivery through the smartphone app, while current products only allow the patients to get a reading by providing their freezing time of the cap. This current method leads to errors, though, when the cap accidentally falls or with false confirmations of the dosage. KiCoPen, on the other hand, aims to provide accurate data, in order to track the insulin regimen daily by both patients and physicians. The company expects to provide better compliance and results within glycaemic control, helping reduce further complications.
“Managing diabetes can be a very time-consuming and tedious process,” said Vaishali Kamat, head of digital health at Cambridge Consultants. “Patients who are on daily insulin therapy have to keep track of how many carbs they’re eating, test their glucose level before each meal – which can vary drastically depending on their stress level and the amount of exercise they’ve had – and remember their last insulin dose. Based on all that, they then have to figure out how much is needed for their next dose.”
In addition, the pen injection requires energy harvesting to power the electronic device, which comes from the motion of the cap being removed and replaced. Using a single chip and eliminating the need for a battery is expected to grant greater freedom for users. The company is also promising that the new KiCoPen is easier to manufacture, and has explained that the assembly effort has been reduced, and that it is environmental friendly.
“Our new injection pen design allows patients to more easily self-manage their treatment, while ensuring they’re getting the exact amount of insulin they need. It also proves to manufacturers that such an innovative, low-cost design can also be applied to pre-filled pens,” Kamat added.
The Cambridge Consultants firm has been dedicated to improve the treatment of the disease that affects more than 371 million people in the world. Even though nowadays patients can live with diabetes, controlling glycaemic levels is still a requirement, which determines the appropriate amount of insult needed. In addition, the company is currently developing an app for patients to access the data and analytics relevant for the management of their disease.
