Diabetes is one of the most common diseases in the world and is a disease that requires lifelong treatment. Since 1921, when insulin began to be used in the treatment of diabetes, the medical world has been continuously working to facilitate the approach to the disease and the lifestyle of patients.
What do diabetes technologies include?
Diabetes technologies When we say this, all kinds of devices, apparatus and applications that make the life of diabetics easier should come to mind. Still, the main groups are;
Continuous glucose measurement systems
Insulin pump systems (artificial pancreas)
Apparatus that facilitates insulin administration (insulin ports)
1. Continuous glucose measurement systems
In order to evaluate the treatment and blood sugar of diabetic patients, as many measurements as possible are needed throughout the day. However, this is a tiring, time-consuming and painful process. Moreover, even in a patient who measures blood sugar 4 times a day with glucose meters, daily fluctuations in blood sugar may not be detected.
New generation continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGM) consist of a coin-sized sensor (receiver) attached to the skin and a system that transfers the data to a special device or mobile phone. With these devices, blood sugar monitoring can be provided every 5 minutes without causing any harm to the patient. In this way, not only daily blood sugar monitoring, but also more dynamic blood sugar monitoring can be done, for example, in monitoring gestational diabetes, which is usually a temporary condition, or during a long operation in a diabetic patient.
With a sugar monitoring chart that is measured 288 times a day in a diabetic patient and can be examined graphically, the patient's general sugar increase-decrease trends can be determined more precisely.
Insulin ports
People who inject more than a few times a day can have their injections without feeling any pain for 3 days with just 1 needle. It can be done via this port.
Insulin Pumps
Insulin pumps, which started to be used in the 1978s, have been used continuously until today with the development of technology. It has improved and is still showing. Insulin pumps used today are the size of a pager. The principle of the insulin pump is to continuously deliver insulin under the skin through a portable electromechanical pump.
All type 1 diabetics and some type 2 diabetics use long-acting insulin. In this way, basic insulin needs are met. In addition, all type 1 diabetics and some type 2 diabetics use rapid-acting insulin before meals. When switching to an insulin pump, only rapid-acting insulin is used.
The pump can be adjusted according to the needs of the person and provide a different basal insulin secretion every 30 minutes. The effect of this on a person's daily insulin and blood sugar balance is far superior to insulin treatments that are administered once a day and maintain a constant level throughout the day. For example, the basal insulin needs of a desk worker who experiences blood sugar drops at night will never be the same as the basal insulin needs of a worker who does heavy physical exertion and experiences blood sugar drops during the day. Thanks to the insulin pump, when and at what speed the insulin will be delivered can be determined every 30 minutes. For example, while the basal insulin of a worker can be reduced during the day and increased in the evening and at night, it is possible for a desk worker to adjust the dose in the opposite way. Moreover, it is possible to prevent high blood sugar levels in the morning, which are more common especially during pregnancy, with hourly touches.
With the insulin pump, the amount of insulin administered before the meal can be regulated by the pump (with predetermined settings depending on the carbohydrate to be taken and the blood sugar level measured before the meal. In addition, the amount of insulin administered before the meal depends on the content of the food eaten, the duration of the meal (long parties, appetizers and snacks, absorption long-lasting fatty foods, etc.), the pump can administer the insulin to be administered over long periods of time or in parts. attached. Moreover, the insulin pump allows the patient to inject insulin in amounts that are not possible with a pen or syringe during small snacks or unusual food intake that may affect blood sugar during the day.
The insulin pump also reduces the rate of long-term complications associated with diabetes by providing tighter control over blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c levels. The insulin pump continuously delivers insulin to the body through a small silicone cannula connected to a catheter placed in the hip, belly, upper arm or leg area. The catheter is changed every three days.
As a result, the insulin pump actually imitates a healthy pancreas because it secretes insulin continuously and can spread the insulin given over time depending on the type of meal.
Hypoglycemia Bands-watches.
Hypoglycemia is a series of serious health problems that include cold sweats, palpitations, feeling faint, and confusion. can create. It can be used in patients who have cold sweats but cannot detect hypoglycemia early. This device is worn on the wrist in the form of a watch and works compatible with a smartphone.
Thanks to the sensors of the hypoglycemia patches in contact with the skin, a hypoglycemia attack gives a warning. These systems can be connected to smartphones via Bluetooth system, alarm the patient's relatives and warn them, thus ensuring that help is sent in case of emergency.
Insulin Bands:
It contains more than a hundred eyelash-thin mini needles on a thin band the size of a coin. These injections contain very small amounts of insulin and enzymes that activate insulin by acting upon the increase in blood sugar. These can release insulin into the skin when blood sugar becomes too high.
Just like patches, there are also small insulin pumps attached to the body to administer pre-meal insulin. These only provide pre-meal insulin needs for 3 days.
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