We all have heard about diabetes and have seen patients who need to monitor their blood sugar levels continuously. Some of these patients need more attention and hence need to monitor glucose levels more vigilantly. Artificial Pancreas Device System (APS) is a system that closely mimics the glucose-regulating function of the pancreas. OpenAPS is a free and open-source project that aims to make the basic APS system available to everyone.
What is OpenAPS?
A base APS consists of a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), Blood Glucose Device (BGD), Control algorithm and an Insulin Pump
CGM provides a continuous stream of data (glucose levels) using a sensor transplanted under the skin of the patient. This data is run through control algorithm to decide when and how much insulin should be pumped into patients body using an insulin pump. Insulin pump receives the control commands and the requested quantity of insulin is fed into the patient’s body. This is basic APS.
OpenAPS project helps people to build their custom APS that provides additional functionality. This software can run through a small computer such as Raspberry Pi or Intel Edison. It automates the insulin delivery to keep blood sugar in the required range. A user can build additional functionality such as alerts, alarms etc which are not part of basic APS.
Concerns
Obvious concern about OpenAPS is that patient would be able to decide how much insulin should get pumped into her body through the software. And this is a valid concern. However, OpenAPS is trying to empower patients to improve their lives at the same time cautioning them –
[T]he ultimate answer to “is it safe” will be something each individual decides for themselves.
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