Lane Desborough, regarded as a pioneer in the automated closed-loop insulin delivery systems, is the CEO of NudgeBG, a southern California start-up, registered in January 2020. Lane was formerly the Chief Engineer at Medtronic Diabetes before co-founding Bigfoot in 2014. Lane’s work in AID is personal, as his son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2009.
He has also been instrumental in the DIY movement, co-creating Nightscout (with John Costik) in 2013 and being the first to say, that year at the annual DData/DiabetesMine meeting “We are not waiting,” which then quickly became a mantra for the T1D community.
With Nudge, Mr. Desborough is aiming for an AID system open to a group of people much broader than those only on pumps.
Nudge BG is focusing on two principles:
- “simpler is better” and
- allowing users to choose their own levels of engagement
Ultimately, Nudge BG’s goal is to create a system requiring less effort than existing sensor-augmented pumps and hybrid closed-loop systems, and with better outcomes than MDI or open-loop pump therapy. To this end, Nudge BG will be a fully closed loop algorithm that does not require meal or exercise inputs.
On the name, Nudge BG, Mr. Desborough explained that the system is designed to “nudge” basal insulin in response to CGM. Nudge BG’s unique benefit is that it
- enables the user to tailor their level of engagement to the point, should they wish, of eliminating much of the daily micro-management of diabetes therapy – beyond making sure the pump and CGM are functioning – while at the same time
- dramatically improving glycemic outcomes.
Lane has his BA in chemical engineering with management sciences from the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Ca) and MS in chemical engineering and process control from Queen’s University. He is an ultramarathon runner, a skier, and a sailboat racer.
Oh I will likely have to listen.