A smart device to manage diabetes begins crowdfunding

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People suffering from diabetes usually have to inject themselves with insulin several times a day to manage their condition. It’s also necessary to keep track of the amount of insulin injected, time of last dosage, and blood glucose levels.

It’s a problematic endeavor, and small mistakes like recording incorrect information can lead to catastrophic outcomes.

Menash Michael founded Insulog after he accidentally over-injected himself with insulin, and was rushed to the hospital for emergency assistance. He wants to ensure that hundreds of millions of people suffering from diabetes across the world never have to face a similar situation.

Insulog’s device snaps onto any disposable insulin pen to display injection history data. It also pairs with an app on your phone to make it easier to share the data with your physician as well as relaying information like the time of previous dose and quantity injected.

The Israel-based entrepreneur claims current solutions to manage diabetes are outdated and require users to input data manually. “Constantly sticking yourself with needles and remembering what you ate aren’t easy,” Menash adds.

The smart device uses sensors to understand when users inject a new dose. It’ll automatically upload the data to its app via Bluetooth, where users can track related analytics. The team claims battery life of anywhere between five to six days, with a full recharge via microUSB in less than two hours.

Insulog’s crowdfunding campaign goes live today with a funding goal of US$40,000. Menash is confident of achieving the target but says the team’s determined to go ahead with the project even if it fails to garner enough backers. The next step would be to appeal to investors, he explains.

It’ll be available for early backers at a discounted price of US$119, with the expected minimum retail price set at US$199.

A prototype of the device is currently being 3D-printed at Insulog’s offices in Ramat Gan, Israel and Menash says he’s also applied for FDA approval, which is pending. Estimated delivery time is July next year.