by Giulia Mazza
A study conducted by theEndocrinology and Diabetology Unit of the Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital, directed by the teacher Silvia Manfrini, could demonstrate the greater effectiveness, compared to traditional blood glucose measurement methods, of Flash Glucose Monitoring (FGM) technology for patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The research focuses on the system ofmonitoring called FreeStyle Libre2 This system, which uses a disc-shaped sensor (about the size of a two-euro coin) applied to the back of the patient's arm, allows the wearer to read subcutaneous blood glucose levels and transmits them directly to an easy-to-use app that the patient can download to their phone. Flash monitoring thus provides patients with instant and continuous information on glucose level trends, helping to prevent complications and offering patients a new level of involvement and long-term control over their health. This tool is also useful in light of recent scientific developments, which confirm that, compared to carbohydrate intake, for example, it's not so much the quantity, but the type (refined or whole/vegetable) that impacts blood sugar levels.
La University Hospital Foundation, furthermore, in collaboration with theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, developed the device di-PEN To support and improve the precision of insulin administration for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Thanks to advanced features based on artificial intelligence, the di-PEN technology, for which the Campus Bio-Medico University filed an international patent in 2021, aims to assist patients during injections, reducing the possibility of errors and improving insulin absorption by rotating the injection site. This potentially innovative tool could not only improve patients' diabetes management but also reduce the risk of complications, lipodystrophy, and injections outside the subcutaneous tissue. The device also allows data to be shared with the treating physician, allowing for truly personalized therapy. The team of specialists is working on a trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of di-PEN in maintaining optimal blood glucose levels and improving patients' quality of life.
The di-PEN has already received the special mention "Female Entrepreneurship", awarded by theWomen's Enterprise Observatory at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" and the "INNOVA" Special Award, awarded for the admission of a finalist project to the personalized acceleration program B-HUB FOR EUROPE.
