Advanced Bolus Calculator for Type 1 Diabetes (ABC4D)

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Clinical Assessment of a Novel Advanced Bolus Calculator for Type 1 Diabetes (ABC4D)

• IRAS ID

  106918

• Contact name

  Monika Reddy

• Contact email

  m.reddy@imperial.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Imperial College London

• Duration of Study in the UK

  3 years, 0 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  Summary of Research
  This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of a novel advanced bolus calculator in subjects with Type 1 diabetes. Insulin bolus calculators have been developed to aid insulin dose adjustment and existing standard insulin bolus calculator consist of a simple algorithm that requires five subject-specific parameters as input to generate a recommended bolus insulin dose:
  • current blood glucose (mmol/L)
  • target blood glucose (mmol/L)
  • insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio (grams of carbohydrate per 1 unit of insulin)
  • total grams of carbohydrate in meals
  • insulin sensitivity factor (reduction in glucose per 1 unit of insulin)
  Imperial College has developed a novel advanced bolus calculator. The complete integrated system consists of a commercially available smartphone that holds the novel advanced algorithm. The system requires regular updates of cases derived from retrospective blinded continuous glucose monitoring data and for this a commercially available glucose sensor will be used. Each new case includes information about the problem (e.g. capillary blood glucose, meal information and physical exercise), solution (recommended insulin dose) and outcome (blood glucose following a meal). The novel decision support algorithm is based on case-based reasoning (CBR). CBR is an artificial intelligence technique that tries to solve newly encountered problems by applying the solutions learned from solved problems encountered in the past.
  The end-product is therefore a subject specific insulin bolus calculator that continues to improve with time. The project utilises commercially available glucose sensors and smartphones (iPhone), integrated with a novel algorithm for insulin bolus calculation. The aim of the ABC4D is to minimise high and low glucose excursions which are associated with the complications of diabetes including blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage and cardiovascular disease.

  Summary of Results
  To be provided at a later date

• REC name

  London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  13/LO/0264

• Date of REC Opinion

  30 Apr 2013

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion