Open source automated insulin delivery: addressing the challenge

Nick Oliver; Monika Reddy; Claire Marriott; Tomas Walker; Lutz Heinemann

doi:10.1038/s41746-019-0202-1

Open source automated insulin delivery: addressing the challenge

NPJ Digit Med. 2019 Dec 11:2:124. doi: 10.1038/s41746-019-0202-1. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Nick Oliver¹, Monika Reddy¹, Claire Marriott², Tomas Walker³, Lutz Heinemann⁴

Affiliations

¹ 1Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imperial College London, London, UK.
² Roche Diabetes Care, Burgess Hill, UK.
³ 3Dexcom, San Diego, CA USA.
⁴ Science Consulting in Diabetes GmbH, Neuss, Germany.

Abstract

Do-it-yourself automated insulin delivery systems for people living with type 1 diabetes use commercially available continuous glucose sensors and insulin pumps linked by unregulated open source software. Uptake of these systems is increasing, with growing evidence suggesting that positive glucose outcomes may be feasible. Increasing interest from people living with, or affected by, type 1 diabetes presents challenges to healthcare professionals, device manufacturers and regulators as the legal, governance and risk frameworks for such devices are not defined. We discuss the data, education, policy, technology and medicolegal obstacles to wider implementation of DIY systems and outline the next steps required for a co-ordinated approach to reducing variation in access to a technology that has potential to enable glucose self-management closer to target.

Keywords: Translational research; Type 1 diabetes.

Publication types

Review