[jeggeman31]

This was sent by my local Medtronics Rep.

Medtronic touts dashboard glucose monitor for diabetic drivers - TwinCities.com


Medtronic touts dashboard glucose monitor for diabetic drivers
Concept car shown at California meeting
By Christopher Snowbeck
csnowbeck@pioneerpress.com
Article Last Updated: 06/11/2008 09:41:27 PM CDT


Think of it as the glucose-mobile.

In the car of the future, drivers might have dashboard gauges not just for the speed and fuel level of their vehicles, but also for the amount of glucose in their body — a key reading for diabetic patients.

That's the vision, at least, Medtronic had on display at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, which concluded Tuesday in California. The Fridley-based medical device company's "M-POWERED" concept car — a Lincoln Zephyr donated for the project — showed how information from a patient's continuous glucose monitor (CGM) could be incorporated into an automobile design.

"The CGM car is a concept application of our overall connectivity strategy, and our quest to apply our existing technologies to new platforms," said Steve Sabicer, a spokesman for Medtronic. "Although we don't plan to commercialize the automotive application immediately, we are exploring ways to link our therapy to other products ... like cell phones, bedside monitors and hand-held devices in the next 18 to 24 months."

Glucose monitors help patients control their diabetes by showing when blood-sugar levels are getting high or low. A high reading prompts diabetic patients to take insulin, while patients know to eat when readings are low.

If Medtronic pursues the idea, such a car might be able to "alert medical assistance should the driver's readings (fall) out of the normal range and the driver fail to respond to on-board computer prompts," the company said in a news release.

Medtronic is one of three manufacturers in the U.S. that sell continuous glucose monitors. The devices consist of sensors that patients place beneath the skin, and pager-sized monitors that typically are worn on the waist and display glucose data from the sensors.

While Medtronic traditionally has been known for its heart devices, the company has identified its California-based diabetes business as a focus for research and development efforts in the next five years. During the company's most recent quarter, which ended in late April, the continuous glucose monitor was a key driver for overall diabetes device sales of $275 million — up 20 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago.

Competition in the market is heating up, with Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories winning approval in March from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market a continuous glucose monitor. San Diego-based DexCom also sells such a device.

Christopher Snowbeck can be reached at 651-228-5479.

[Cormac_Doyle]

Could be a good idea ... a Type-1 diabetic recently lost his license because after he had an accident in his car, he could not prove that he had tested his blood before driving; and worse - he could not show that he did that routinely ...

Looks like T1 (and medicated T2) Drivers now need to carry their BG diary, incase they get stopped by the cops!!!

[Gordonm]

Not a bad idea but a blood alcohol level would save many more lives.

[Scrabblechick]

You got THAT right, Gordon! How about a BAC machine as mandatory in the cars of people caught DUI, during their probation periods? Hmmm.

Anyway, I can see where the BG monitor in the car would be great, especially for T1s and T2s on insulin. Feel low? Look at the dashboard and grab a glucose tablet! Easy!

I keep thinking technology is going to eventually help find a great treatment, if not a cure, for this thing.

[Alice]

I don't know if I would need medical attention sent to my car each time my reading read "out of normal"...but, it's a concept...