InsulLoc Is Combining AI and Computer Vision to Identify Safe Injection Sites for Insulin
Dr. Bogdan Oancea and Emilia Breban aim to help diabetes patients manage their insulin regimen effectively using just a smartphone and their innovative app. They have their sights set on a goal of zero lipohypertrophy for people with diabetes, but their technology could have even further-reaching implications.
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The Challenge
Sixty-four percent. That’s the percentage of insulin users who end up bearing serious complications of lipohypertrophy.
Lipohypertrophy is a condition that has long haunted the diabetes community. It is when lumps of fatty tissue form under the skin due to repeated injections in the same place. The result is disrupted insulin absorption and compromised effectiveness of diabetes treatment.
Let’s put that number into perspective. Imagine a room filled with 100 insulin users, all sharing the same hope for better health and fighting the same battle. Among them, only 36 users have mastered the art of correctly rotating their injection sites find themselves in the elite club, narrowly evading the clutches of lipohypertrophy.
On the other hand, there is an overwhelming majority of 64 users who, either due to carelessness or lack of knowledge, find themselves entangled in the web of lipohypertrophy. This group of people is who InsulLoc aims to cater to, and this is the challenge they seek to confront head-on.
Origin Story
A medical professional specializing in preventive medicine, diabetology, nutrition, and phytotherapy, Bogdan Oancea, MD, says he has always been drawn to the challenges of life. He began his career teaching nutritional hygiene and medicine at a Romanian medical university and then later quit his job to work at a government hospital. This was when he started noticing a concerning pattern among patients with diabetes.
Dr. Oancea saw that most of the patients on insulin treatment ended up in the hospital due to insulin misapplication. On initial investigation, he learned that two-thirds of these patients were incorrectly injecting insulin, leading to the development of lipohypertrophy. While clinical trials involving real nurses administering insulin for three months showed promising patient outcomes, Dr. Oancea knew that having a nurse administer insulin multiple times a day was impractical. This prompted the idea of AI-powered virtual nurses that would tell the patients when, where, and how to do safe and proper insulin injections.
When Dr. Oancea explained this problem to his acquaintance Emilia Breban, she knew she had to join the team because, despite efforts to educate patients on proper insulin administration, this problem had managed to persist for over a century. They found that one reason why it was so was that diabetes affects many organs and aspects of an individual’s life. There is a decline of cognitive senses, and the patient starts losing vision and experiencing tremors. It also takes a toll on mental health.
It became apparent to Dr. Oancea and Breban that patients needed further handholding. And a core part of the solution they came up with involved using computer vision to guide patients on how to find a safe injection site.
Dr. Oancea explains computer vision as something similar to the technology leveraged by an apple sorting and grading machine in apple packing facilities. The machine automatically sorts apples based on their quality, size, and ripeness and forwards them to the right containers. Similarly, the computer vision in their platform would map the safest insulin injection site based on what’s visible on the outside.
With that, Dr. Oancea, Breban, and a third co-founder who is also an AI engineer began their journey toward creating InsulLoc, a revolutionary app that harnesses the power of AI and computer vision to guide patients in administering insulin accurately.
Currently, team InsulLoc is working with a software company in Romania to create the minimum viable product (MVP). Once the app is ready, their immediate plans include conducting three months of trials and studies with patients to understand and gather clinical data. The team hopes that these results will yield promising and accurate results. If successful, the next step would be introducing the solution to a broader user base and taking it to the market, which, if all goes according to plan, will happen within the next four to five months.
Under the Hood
InsulLoc’s platform is designed to support individuals with diabetes in managing their insulin treatment effectively. The system includes several features and capabilities to provide comprehensive care.
To begin with, the app sends out up to four daily reminders (depending on their insulin chart) to help patients stay on top of their insulin regimen. Plus, the system checks the insulin dosage to ensure it aligns with the prescribed dosage. However, the most important feature is InsulLoc’s ability to employ artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision to assess the suitability of an injection site on the patient’s abdomen.
All that the user has to do is open the InsulLoc app on their phone and move the insulin pen around their abdomen in its view. The platform then scans the user’s abdomen and suggests how good a site is for insulin injection. Once an ideal injection site is identified and the user administers the insulin, the system records the injection sites and insulin dosage used by the patient. This information is logged for future reference and can be shared with healthcare professionals if the patient wishes to do so.
InsulLoc also allows for communication between the patient and their healthcare provider. The platform can connect to a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) via Bluetooth, gathering real-time glucose data for better monitoring. Doctors have the option to receive data and alerts from the platform, enabling them to monitor the patient’s progress and intervene when necessary. This functionality is optional, and the extent of data sharing is determined by the patient’s preferences and the healthcare provider’s interest.
When it comes to its go-to-market, InsulLoc isn’t exclusively focused on a single market. Their platform is designed to be adaptable and can potentially operate in various regions worldwide. InsulLoc is already exploring opportunities in Europe, the United States, and beyond, but they plan to conduct clinical trials in Romania. The company has already received support from the Romanian Diabetology Association, which allows them to conduct tests, gather data, and assess the platform’s effectiveness in a real-world setting.
InsulLoc is in preliminary talks with healthcare organizations such as Roche, which owns Accucheck and MySugr, to explore potential partnerships to enhance patient experience and provide comprehensive care.
Last Words
InsulLoc embodies the essence of forward-thinking and globally-minded healthcare innovation. Part of their strength comes from their home country. Romania boasts a market with a unique global perspective. Overcoming the hurdles to commercialize their venture in Romania will equip them with the skills and knowledge necessary to expand to new regions.
In addition, the platform’s emphasis on preventive medicine, specifically secondary prevention (preventing more complications after getting diagnosed with a disease), brings a holistic approach to healthcare, which helps minimize the need for emergency hospital visits and the likelihood of hospitalizations. Apart from direct medical cost savings, the economic impact extends to indirect costs associated with diabetes, such as absenteeism and productivity loss.
Lastly, InsulLoc has a broad application beyond insulin injections. For instance, it can be applied to other therapies involving abdominal injections, such as glucagon-like peptide (GLP) therapy. The platform’s features will contribute to better adherence to treatment plans by promoting a sense of safety and confidence among patients. Patients are more likely to adhere to their recommended treatment plans when they feel secure and supported, and InsulLoc can play an immense role in that aspect.
Join us in welcoming Dr. Bogdan Oancea, Emilia Breban, and the InsulLoc team to the StartUp Health T1D Moonshot Community.
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Published: Jan 25, 2024