1 in 11 adults worldwide have diabetes, that is over 415 million people and these numbers are steadily increasing. By 2040 1 in 10 adults will suffer from this disease, this means that over 615 million people around the world several times a day will have to inject insulin. Marek Novák, a student from the Czech Technical University in Prague (ČVUT) knows this very well: “The demand for solutions that will make diabetes treatment easier will increase.”
The key to a successful treatment is being responsible. Patients with diabetes have to measure the levels of sugar in their blood several times a day and evaluate if they need to inject insulin or to adjust their diet. Without proper management of the disease it can have long-term effects on health. However being responsible tends to be a problem, especially among children; for parents who need to monitor them; teenagers and the elderly. Marek Novák found a solution for them, he has focused on glucometers, the devices that measure the amount of sugar in patients’ blood. “They haven’t changed in almost 15 years, they are still very cumbersome, as the battery is carried in a small bag and the displays are often inefficient. Whereas, almost everyone, especially youngsters, carry a smartphone in their pockets at all times,” he explains.
He decided to design a modern, credit card-sized glucometer that can be charged and connected via a smartphone. Such a device wouldn’t need a battery charger and could transfer data to a smartphone, or even to the doctor’s computer via a cloud storage. In the case of children, it can be connected to their parents’ phone or computer, also the elderly and their carers , whom have the same problems, can benefit from the device as well.
A prototype of Marek Novák’s glucometer won the Werner von Siemens Prize in The Most Significant Result of Development/Innovation category in 2016. In order for the device to reach patients, in other words for the prototype to become a product that can be sold on the market, the next step was made. Marek Novák has founded the X.GLU company with the help of Tech Square, an organization that connects corporations with start-up companies.
Simultaneously he had been working together with his colleagues from ČVUT Tomáš Pikous and Barbora Suchanová on a complex solution that would integrate an internet and mobile app for diabetic children and their parents. The new device is credit card-sized and only 4 mm thick; making it the smallest glucometer in the world. It can either have its own battery or it can be charged from the user’s smartphone, while also storing data about the sugar levels. The data transfers are executed using the NFC technology, it provides safety during the interaction between the glucometer and the smartphone. The X.GLU device is able to gather continuous data and to save it in a cloud storage. This allows both the patient and the doctor to access the data at any time, in addition if instructed to do so, the device informs the child’s parents and they can track, their situation, enabling immediate intervention, in cases of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.
What is more, the mobile app is attractive for children themselves. Young patients receive virtual rewards if they measure the levels of sugar in their blood regularly. The child can also guess what the glucose level will be and if they are accurate they can receive bonus points.
“It is easy to come up with an idea or a concept and many people do it in our country, but only a few succeed. We think there are two main obstacles – insufficient knowledge about business, and the legal legislation. The developers shouldn’t be burdened by the business aspect and vice versa. For those reasons, we have an independent business team at X.GLU,“ said Barbora Suchanová during the Imagine Cup ceremony.
Currently, the X.GLU team is looking for an investor who would cover the expenses of the first model’s production and introduction to the Central European market. To begin mass production they need one million euros. If the projects proceeds as planned, the first glucometers could be in the hands of patients in the second half of next year. The young inventors don’t intend to supervise the production though, they will focus on the development of the website and the smartphone app as well as their studies and other projects.
The X.GLU team hopes that the new glucometer will be available for purchase from 2018 and that it will be covered by health insurance. It is important to say that when compared to other glucometers, X.GLU’s device reduces the cost of production by half. However, Marek Novák doesn’t want to only produce glucometers: “We have other plans as well. I am cooperating with the Agency for the Study of Obesity and Diabetes. I am developing other technical solutions, which will help scientists in their diabetes focused research.”