Technology Archives - BCDiabetes

2018-Oct-10 saw Health Canada approve the Medtronic 670G insulin pump, the first of its kind in Canada to support closed-loop functionality for basal insulin.  This innovation, the first step towards an artificial pancreas, is welcome news for every individual with diabetes who is an intensive insulin user (either a pumper or taking multiple daily shots). […]

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first closed-loop insulin-pump sensor system for the diabetes market.  The MiniMed 670G hybrid closed looped system, often referred to as an “artificial pancreas,” is intended to adjust insulin levels with little or no input from the user. It works by measuring glucose levels every five minutes and automatically […]

Last week the prestigious British medical journal the Lancet published a report summarized here describing dramatic reductions in low blood sugar without any loss of blood sugar control using the Freestyle Libre.   “The Freestyle Libre is the first of a new class of glucose monitoring devices that use “flash” technology.  These devices measure sugar/glucose in the […]

Via Reuters, electronic cigarettes may have helped about 18,000 people in England to give up smoking last year and there is no evidence of any serious side effects associated with their use for up to two years, according to studies published on Tuesday. “For cigarette smokers smoking cessation remains the biggest and most powerful positive health […]

BCDiabetes Medical Director, Dr. Tom Elliott, recently met with Shafin Tejani, Angel Investor of the Year at the 2015 Canadian Startup Awards, to discuss a diabetes-related innovation. While the notion of money and investment in healthcare is nothing new, that diabetes is seen as a cause in addition to a market by people such as […]

A recent study published in the journal diabetes from the group of Dr. Michael Christie at the University of Lincoln in England has identified a fifth element involved in the immune system’s destruction of beta cell (the cells that produce & secrete insulin) that cause Type 1 diabetes.  Other well-understood targets include insulin and glutamade […]

On Monday of this week, Reuters reported that two US-based hospitals are preparing to launch trials related to HealthKit, a software product from Apple that will be available with iOS8, Apple’s new OS that launches today. These trials will look at how HealthKit helps patients use glucose meters that integrate with their phones and make […]

It’s been an exciting summer in terms of developing technology that can significantly impact those living with Type 1 Diabetes. In 2013, a Boston-based group began testing a bionic pancreas and we’re starting to see some very positive results. Young people including 7 year-old Zara Cheek from Baltimore and others around the US are reporting feeling steady […]