Posted 04.26.2010 at 4:32 pm
7 Comments
The battle to control type-1 diabetes in children could get a little easier -- as long as the kids keep playing with their Nintendos. Bayer Diabetes Care unveiled a new gadget Monday that aims to help kids manage their disease by tapping into their love for video games.
The DIDGET blood glucose meter connects to Nintendo DS and DS Lite gaming systems, awarding points for consistently testing blood sugar levels and meeting blood-glucose targets. Kids can use the points to unlock different levels in video games online and through their gaming systems.
Blood-Sugar Monitor Hooks Up to Nintendo DS: A new Nintendo DS-compatible blood-glucose monitor entices kids with diabetes to monitor their health. Bayer Diabetes Care
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Gadgets, Rebecca Boyle, blood sugar levels, diabetes, gaming, Nintendo DS, portable gamingDidget operates like any other blood-glucose meter, but it comes with an online "world" accessible only to Didget users. Kids can interact with other diabetes patients and play games.
The device sells for $74.99 and is available at various pharmacies. Though Didget hooks up to a Nintendo DS, you don't need one to use it.
In other Type 1 diabetes news, earlier this month, endocrinologists at Massachusetts General Hospital announced a new clinical trial on an artificial pancreas. Unlike other artificial pancreas devices, it adds a monitor for the hormone glucagon, which counteracts insulin -- useful if a patient's blood-sugar level drops too much. In the trial, the system was able to control blood sugar in a small group of diabetic patients even when they ate high-carbohydrate meals. That's an improvement over previous artificial pancreas devices. That study is reported in the April 14 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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Not to belittle this effort, but I doubt that it will have a lot of impact. Kids know the difference between games and adult goals intruding into the game world.
Diabetes is a tragic disease, and I applaud them for trying to help. I just don't think that it will work. I'd be happy to be wrong.
Cant wait for nano machines. Get a cold or flu just plug in you PS3 joy stick and go to work blasting the virus cool cant make it to work today sick got to play vidio games
and all the cool kids with a DSi are out of luck,
also... Achievement unlocked: die of glucose overdose
I will bet anyone a donut that this will not work, kids will try to get there blood suger up just to get the high score.
I will bet anyone a donut that this will not work, kids will try to get there blood suger up just to get the high score.
Yeah sounds cool, too bad the display is upsidown.
It is nice to see Bayer trying. Giving diabetic kids different things to motivate them to keep their blood sugar levels in check is needed. For example we are working on a program to give kids a free music download and access to online games when they upload numbers and are within range. The problem with a standalone game is a parent or doctor cannot get access to the blood sugar numbers. We have developed a system that is free to diabetics that allows them to upload their blood sugar numbers from any meter or pump. Parents and doctors have access to this information. If you would like to check out the website you can follow the link on website.
Jim Jordan
CEO
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