
Artificial Pancreas Project
AP@Home
Triteq is part of a consortium of academic and industrial partners in an EU project called AP@home, which aims to develop an artificial pancreas (AP). Triteq will be at the AP@Home Conference in Barcelona from 6th to 10th February, which is being held at the CCIB in Barcelona.
Steve Lane, Commercial Director at Triteq explains, “The first phase of the project was extremely successful in developing software algorithms. Triteq’s role now is to apply our electronic design expertise to develop a system for suitable clinical trials. This will bring together the CGM and insulin infusion pump into a single device, with the ultimate aim of having a single access point through the patient’s skin. Different software algorithms will be built into the system to interpret the data gathered by the CGM and automatically control insulin dosage and delivery. We are delighted to be working with European partners on such an exciting project, which promises to make a ground breaking development in patient care.”
The pancreas produces insulin which regulates blood glucose levels, but in diabetics, insulin production is reduced or stopped and diabetics must inject themselves with insulin to regulate their blood sugar. AP@home aims to produce an AP device that will continually monitor the blood sugar levels of diabetics and automatically regulate insulin delivery into their circulation to maintain correct blood sugar levels.
The AP system will use a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) and an insulin infusion pump, and along with a software algorithm, the system will calculate how much insulin to deliver at any time in response to blood glucose levels. The system could not only improve the quality of life for people with insulin treated diabetes, but also reduce the escalating healthcare cost burden.
In the final year of the 4-year project (ending 2014), the performance of the newly created AP system, including remote monitoring facilities, will be compared with standard intensive insulin therapy in daily life in a multinational controlled trial.
“The aim of this project is to let Europe lead in the development of AP systems”, said project coordinator Lutz Heinemann of the Profil Institut für Stoffwechselforschung GmbH. “Simplified care and improved quality of life for patients with diabetes will diminish related complications and health costs in the long run”, added Heinemann.
The AP@home consortium brings together world-leading experts in the fields of medical device development, clinical studies and modelling & control algorithms, including seven academic partners (Universities of Cambridge, Padova, Pavia, University Hospitals of Amsterdam and Montpellier, Medical University Graz, EPF Lausanne) and five industrial partners (Profil Institut für Stoffwechselforschung GmbH, Sensile Medical AG, STMicroelectronics, 4a engineering GmbH, as well as Triteq). The project is funded with a €10.5M grant from the European Commission’s Framework Programme 7.