The research team led by DI Dr. Martin Hajnsek of Health, the Institute of Biomedicine and Health Sciences at JOANNEUM RESEARCH, received the Research Award "HTI: Human-Technology Interface" of Styria in category 2 "Economic applications" for research in the EU project "SPIDIMAN" which is running for four years since 2012. "I would like to especially thank the interdisciplinary team of engineers, doctors and nurses and all international partners," said Hajnsek.
The award was presented by the Styrian Science and Research Councilor Mag. Christopher Drexler. "We want to make Styria fit for decades to come - that's the motivation behind this award," said Drexler. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Pribyl the CEO of JOANNEUM said: "I am very pleased that a project done by our company has received this award."
Diabetes is one of the world's most common chronic diseases. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) predicts that worldwide the number of people with diabetes will increase from currently 387 million to around 592 million by 2035. Everyday life is difficult for diabetes patients. Currently available therapeutic devices are bulky and big and are sometimes impaired by problems such as inaccurate measurements. Especially children and youths are affected by the complicated handling of glucometers. Inaccurate measurement of glucose levels in diabetes patients can lead to hypo- or hyperglycaemia and subsequently to life-threatening complications. SPIDIMAN aims to enable continuous glucose monitoring and insulin delivery via an integrated catheter.
Initial studies have shown that glucose monitoring and insulin delivery can be done at the same location in subcutaneous tissue (lower layer of skin) without affecting each other. Thus, it is possible to combine insulin delivery and glucose measurement in one insulin catheter and to realize continuous glucose control without any additional burden to patients wearing an insulin pump. This represents a significant improvement over currently possible treatment options for patients with type 1 diabetes.
More information on the project: www.spidiman.eu