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This is but one of the mass market medical devices that provide a fast growing market for semis and mems. Health monitoring and active controls for the body offer a large and rapidly growing market for semis and mems and this is but one of the early first steps. In the future we'll see semis/mems in devices that actually take over biological functions where the body is failing. Many people will literally become bionic people, especially as they age. Soon, I have no doubt, we'll see active controls of body functions and have already seen devices that let the blind see. The beauty of the semi/mems world is the ability to lower costs and increase functionality at a geometric rate. Semi/mems technology is still in its infancy and will become as pervasive as common raw materials in the future. We are already seeing semis/mems have taken the first steps in almost every area of human endeavor, so the largest growth is still ahead of us, contrary to what some think.
Agreed, type 1 diabetes can certainly benefit from monitoring with a mems-based system.
Even more important than monitoring for diabetes is a policy where we should be rewarding healthy people that avoid getting type 2 diabetes in the first place. Prevention is much smarter than monitoring and managing.
Daniel, I highly recommend the book "The Blood Sugar Solution" by Hyman. Diabetes can be brought under control within weeks, besides numerous other health benefits. I'm following it to a degree even though I have no weight or diabetes problem and the increase in my quality of health has been substantial even though my diet has been far better than most and I work out every day. The increases in resolution of MRIs brought about by advances in the semi sector, combined with lower costs are changing the field of medical research dramatically. I feel we will all become bionic people in the future as we age for this will allow us to focus on prevention as cheap 24/7 compact, nonintrusive monitoring and even control devices help us stop many problems before they start. Semis/sensors/mems/radiation sources of all types and direct electrical tie ins to our body will be as revolutionary as the processor was to computation.
Type 2 diabetes "can be brought under control" with diet and exercise? Probably, for most (but not all) people who have it.
Type 1 diabetes "can be brought under control" ONLY with Insulin.
and MEMS won't help at all (unless it generates insulin, which is a miracle I'd love to see).
When I got Type 1 Diabetes 30 years ago, I was told that technological breakthroughs were just around the corner (5 years was what the Dr's where saying). I'm still waiting
BTW, the insulin pump I've been carrying for over 15 years already has a MEMS element for pushing the insulin from the reservoir into my body, so this isn't anything new.
