Less pain = productivity gain

9 December 2016 | Read time: 2 minutes


Our medical technology research team will soon take an important step towards their goal of creating a next-generation, high-tech systems-solution for insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes.

Clinical trials will soon begin at St George’s Hospital in Christchurch to validate the model-based control part of the system. This comprises needle-free insulin sensing and delivery, modelling and model-based decision support and advanced point of care insulin sensing.

Type 2 diabetes is one of several diseases associated with aging populations and rapidly increasing health costs that presents opportunities to develop patient-centric integrated technology systems.

Challenge research leader Geoff Chase says New Zealand is well placed to take advantage of these opportunities.

“Internationally, most medical device companies are working on individual technologies which individually will do little to increase productivity. By working together, we can create a system that will reduce costs and maintain or enhancing the standard of care,” he says.

The team, which comprises some of New Zealand’s top medical technology researchers, is working with one of New Zealand’s most established hospitals to begin clinical trials in early 2017.