Guest guest Posted February 19, 2003 Report Share Posted February 19, 2003 Bring that device on! And make it talk while you're at it. I have about had it with my glucose meter. One more error message and I'm throwing the d---------ed thing out of the window. (smile) Update Hi folks, this is from the Diabetes In Control Newsletter, Feb 19. By Steve Freed Publisher Would your patients test their blood glucose more often if it were painless and convenient? Dozens of companies are betting that millions of people with diabetes will answer yes. The race to be the first to market non-invasive blood glucose systems is nearing an end. The companies use a variety of technologies. But the choice of technology matters less than whether it works. It's such a high-stakes race and a couple of companies have technologies that promise to deliver painless blood glucose testing. Yet, some of these are so thinly capitalized that they stand little chance of finishing the race. What's the rush to market? U.S. expenditures for blood glucose meters and supplies will be about $1 Billion this year Photo illustration of the SugarTracTNon-Invasive Glucose Monitor prototype model for home use A non-invasive blood glucose monitor might help many more people with diabetes get their blood glucose under better control by testing more frequently. That's especially true for meters that promise to measure glucose levels continuously. The payoff of better control is fewer complications, according to the 1993 DCCT Trial. One of the companies we have been watching is LifeTrac Systems. The methodology of the technology is based upon the following parameters: Light frequency, pulse, volume of blood, signal generation and a number of multi algorithms. It has been in development for a number of years. Last week I had a chance to talk to Danton, CEO of LifeTrac. Bill shared with me some interesting news about his company that I would like to share with you. The first unit produced was about the size of a table and was not very accurate. But over the last 5 years, it has been refined and improved. The Sugar-Trac monitor passed a major test when LifeTrac released the first verified results from the ongoing clinical trials at Brigham Women's Hospital in Cambridge, MA., a Harvard University teaching hospital. The SugarTracT Non-Invasive Glucose Monitor revealed a correlation of 0.88 compared to a LifeScan OneTouch Ultra (fingerstick monitor) and a Beckman. CEO Danton said, " This independent verification is exactly what we had hoped for. " " Our own studies showed similar results as far back as 1998, and with our new and much smaller monitor, we are now only months away from delivering a more robust unit that will be ready for FDA approval. " Dr. noted a small problem with overheating after repeated measures over time and very cold skin temperatures, but was confident that a 'more robust unit would likely resolve these problems, leading to even more accurate measures. " By comparison, the FDA requires a typical finger-stick monitor to only be 75% accurate with a 20% +/- variation, when used by a diabetes patient to monitor their glucose. What will the final SugarTracT Non-invasive Glucose Monitor look like when it is ready to be submitted for FDA approval? According to CEO Bill Danton, we may only be a few short months away from finding out. " The firm we are talking to is very enthusiastic about the SugarTracT and wholeheartedly believe they can further our miniaturization of the monitor, allowing us to deliver a unit that is about the size of a pager. " stated Danton. " And remember, this is a device that only two years ago was the size of a coffee table. " Endless Possibilities!For the first phase, the unit will still be a tethered device, with an adjustable earpiece designed to measure a diabetics glucose level by using NIR or near-infrared light. Future iterations of the device will be in 4 introductions. Phase 2 will be a wireless unit. Phase 3 will be the addition of alarms to monitor high and low blood sugars. SportBrain TrackerPhase 4 will offer continuous monitoring of a patients glucose levels, for more active management of the deadly disease. Then Phase 5 will be paired up with an insulin pump to make a continuous loop, which, will be monitoring and injecting insulin automatically, likes an artificial pancreas. The next study at Harvard will be a double blind study using the new device for 40 patients. Expected start date in 2 or 3 months. Whereas the SugarTracT device is non-invasive, in addition to other factors, it is anticipated that the actual FDA approved trials will last from three to four months, being completed by June or July of 2003. Add approximately three months for the FDA approval process and the SugarTracT Noninvasive Glucose Monitor could be approved by September or October of 2003. As far as financing goes, they raised $1.3 million dollars in investment capital last year, this will take them through the study at Harvard. The unit is also being tested at 4 US locations and in Switzerland. If and when it reaches the market it will probably cost about 50 dollars a month for 150 readings about 30 cents a reading, which is about ½ of what strips now cost. Bill mentioned that he would like to possibly use subscribers from Diabetes In Control to run future surveys to get your response, so stay tuned. Above photos are only possible scenarios of what the final unit might look like and do not represent the actual product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 20, 2003 Report Share Posted February 20, 2003 Hi there, hope things get better, havnet had any problems with my talking glukie just low batterry , hope it igets better, mark Re: Update >Bring that device on! And make it talk while you're at it. I have about had >it with my glucose meter. One more error message and I'm throwing the >d---------ed thing out of the window. (smile) > Update > > >Hi folks, >this is from the Diabetes In Control Newsletter, Feb 19. > > > >By Steve Freed Publisher > >Would your patients test their blood glucose more often if it were painless >and convenient? > >Dozens of companies are betting that millions of people with diabetes will >answer yes. The race to be the first to market non-invasive blood glucose >systems >is nearing an end. > >The companies use a variety of technologies. But the choice of technology >matters less than whether it works. > >It's such a high-stakes race and a couple of companies have technologies >that promise to deliver painless blood glucose testing. Yet, some of these >are >so thinly capitalized that they stand little chance of finishing the race. > >What's the rush to market? U.S. expenditures for blood glucose meters and >supplies will be about $1 Billion this year > >Photo illustration of the SugarTracTNon-Invasive Glucose Monitor prototype >model for home use > >A non-invasive blood glucose monitor might help many more people with >diabetes get their blood glucose under better control by testing more >frequently. >That's especially true for meters that promise to measure glucose levels >continuously. The payoff of better control is fewer complications, according >to >the 1993 DCCT Trial. > >One of the companies we have been watching is LifeTrac Systems. The >methodology of the technology is based upon the following parameters: Light >frequency, >pulse, volume of blood, signal generation and a > >number of multi algorithms. > >It has been in development for a number of years. Last week I had a chance >to talk to Danton, CEO of LifeTrac. Bill shared with me some >interesting >news about his company that I would like to share with you. > >The first unit produced was about the size of a table and was not very >accurate. But over the last 5 years, it has been refined and improved. > >The Sugar-Trac monitor passed a major test when LifeTrac released the first >verified results from the ongoing clinical trials at Brigham Women's >Hospital >in Cambridge, MA., a Harvard University teaching hospital. > >The SugarTracT Non-Invasive Glucose Monitor revealed a correlation of 0.88 >compared to a LifeScan OneTouch Ultra (fingerstick monitor) and a Beckman. > >CEO Danton said, " This independent verification is exactly what we >had hoped for. " " Our own studies showed similar results as far back as 1998, >and with our new and much smaller monitor, we are now only months away from >delivering a more robust unit that will be ready for FDA approval. " Dr. > >noted a small problem with overheating after repeated measures over time and >very cold skin temperatures, but was confident that a 'more robust unit >would >likely resolve these problems, leading to even more accurate measures. " > >By comparison, the FDA requires a typical finger-stick monitor to only be >75% accurate with a 20% +/- variation, when used by a diabetes patient to >monitor >their glucose. > >What will the final SugarTracT Non-invasive Glucose Monitor look like when >it is ready to be submitted for FDA approval? According to CEO Bill Danton, >we >may only be a few short months away from finding out. " The firm we are >talking to is very enthusiastic about the SugarTracT and wholeheartedly >believe >they can further our miniaturization of the monitor, allowing us to deliver >a unit that is about the size of a pager. " stated Danton. " And remember, >this >is a device that only two years ago was the size of a coffee table. " > >Endless Possibilities!For the first phase, the unit will still be a tethered >device, with an adjustable earpiece designed to measure a diabetics glucose >level by using NIR or near-infrared light. Future iterations of the device >will be in 4 introductions. > >Phase 2 will be a wireless unit. Phase 3 will be the addition of alarms to >monitor high and low blood sugars. > >SportBrain TrackerPhase 4 will offer continuous monitoring of a patients >glucose levels, for more active management of the deadly disease. > >Then Phase 5 will be paired up with an insulin pump to make a continuous >loop, which, will be monitoring and injecting insulin automatically, likes >an artificial >pancreas. > >The next study at Harvard will be a double blind study using the new device >for 40 patients. Expected start date in 2 or 3 months. > >Whereas the SugarTracT device is non-invasive, in addition to other factors, >it is anticipated that the actual FDA approved trials will last from three >to four months, being completed by June or July of 2003. Add approximately >three months for the FDA approval process and the SugarTracT Noninvasive >Glucose >Monitor could be approved by September or October of 2003. > >As far as financing goes, they raised $1.3 million dollars in investment >capital last year, this will take them through the study at Harvard. The >unit is >also being tested at 4 US locations and in Switzerland. > >If and when it reaches the market it will probably cost about 50 dollars a >month for 150 readings about 30 cents a reading, which is about ½ of what >strips >now cost. > >Bill mentioned that he would like to possibly use subscribers from Diabetes >In Control to run future surveys to get your response, so stay tuned. > >Above photos are only possible scenarios of what the final unit might look >like and do not represent the actual product. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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