New Diabetes ‘CGKM’ Sensor Will Monitor Both Glucose and Ketones was written by Mike Hoskins for DiabetesMine.com, 22 November 2020.
Digital health startup PercuSense in Southern California — which has former Medtronic Diabetes engineering talent at its helm — is working on this next-generation tech for diabetes, a combined continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that also keeps tabs on ketones. It would be dubbed a CGKM, for short. If successful, it would serve a critical function in helping to tackle DKA in hospitals, as well as for PWDs (people with diabetes) using a newer class of glucose-lowering drug known as SGLT2 inhibitors, which can sometimes lead to spikes in ketone levels.
PercuSense announced in early November 2020 that it received a $2.5 million grant from the prestigious Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, supporting research to develop this CGKM. A separate grant also builds on pre-clinical work by Dr. David O’Neal at the University of Melbourne in Australia, going toward animal and human clinical trials.
PercuSense is making an all-in-one system to monitor both glucose and ketones. The biosensor looks similar to an Omnipod, attached to the body with an adhesive. A cannula underneath penetrates the skin to monitor interstitial fluid for both glucose and ketones — yes, a single combined probe to monitor both in your body, so there’s no need for a second cannula.
Monitoring DKA in the hospital is one aspect this new technology would address, but it’s also aimed at more everyday aspects of managing this condition. It could be especially useful for:
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- those using the newer class of glucose-lowering medications known as SGLT2 inhibitors, or sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors
- those utilizing insulin pumps or closed loop technology (i.e. Artificial Pancreas systems) who can experience failed insulin infusion sites.
- managing common diabetes hurdles, from sick days when glucose levels are higher to high-intensity exercise that sometimes also leads to hyperglycemia.
- those who follow lower-carb eating, which can lead to ketosis.
Prior to becoming CEO of PercuSense, Brian Kannard is a longtime industry veteran who hails from Medtronic Diabetes, where he worked as a senior engineer in CGM sensor development. PercusSense founder Rajiv Shah actually built the company based on Kannard’s previous role leading CGM sensor development for Alfred E. Mann’s Minimed, that was later acquired by Medtronic in 2001. His vision was to take continuous monitoring beyond glucose.
Read more: Diabetes ‘CGKM’ Sensor for Both Glucose and Ketones
That may be a product in search of a reason to exist. Maybe in the hospital in DKA admissions, but is it really necessary to know a persons Ketones like we know their blood sugar? I am guessing I am skeptical.