When I read last week’s post about the JDRF study indicating that 1 in 20 type I diabetics will die from negative side effects of hypoglycemia I was, to put it lightly, a little frightened. “I am careful about my blood sugar, this won’t happen to me,” I reassured myself. But all diabetics care about their health. So clearly there is something deeper here. We are not getting the appropriate information we need to keep ourselves safe. Even in an era of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMS), people are still facing this harsh reality.

As a CGMS user, I know how costly these devices can be, and how frustrating it can be to deal with the insurance companies to get approval to buy one. While I’m thankful for what engineers at CGMS companies have managed to create, I wondered, “isn’t there something we can do so that everyone can afford to keep themselves safe?” As an engineering student at the University of California, Berkeley, I was driven to investigate other options. Sure enough, after doing a little bit of research, I discovered there are few alternatives to detect low blood sugar using physiological data like body temperature and perspiration, etc.

I am working with a team at Berkeley to build a prototype for a low cost device that can help type I diabetics like myself identify low blood sugars that might otherwise go unnoticed. In order to garner support and continue our development, we are running a survey to gauge user interest and better understand your needs. We would greatly appreciate your input. Please help us out by filling out this survey. Also, anyone who is interested in participating in a trial should sign up at http://www.mydropsense.com/trials. We are determined to find a way to reduce the consequences of low blood sugar for all type I diabetics.

The opinions and ideas expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of JDRF.