Amy Tenderich of DiabetesMine has just announced the start of the 2009 DiabetesMine Design Challenge. This year the grand prize is $10,000. So you can improve the state of diabetes design and win some serious prize money.
The competition is open from tomorrow March 2, 2009, to end of day (PST) on May 1st, 2009. Each entry is judged on three criteria: Relevance; Clinical Efficacy; Aesthetics. You can submit a video or a paper describing your idea. Full details are on the entry page for the competition.
I know we've got got lots of devices that are efficacious (FDA criteria), but with lousy design. This presents a great opportunity to make life easier for everyone with diabetes.
So think about anything diabetes related that's driving you nuts. Have you some way to fix the problem? Or maybe a completely new idea to make it easier to live with diabetes. I can't wait to see what folks come up with.
Discovery Health is looking for teens and young adults (maybe you?) to share with others what it's like to live with type 1 diabetes.
They'd like you to record a one-minute video that's a message to the next President. Tell them a little about your story and let them know how you'd like diabetes care to be improved. This is a great chance to really inform them as they take office.
If you want to get involved, please work quickly. According to the video entries are due by October 24th, though their web site says November 1st.
Everyone will get a chance to vote for their top three choices and then they'll use that to pick the winners. I'll update this blog post as I learn more.
If you're a regular reader of this blog, you've probably seen some references to TuDiabetes.com. Have you visited this awesome social networking site? It's an amazing resource for folks whose lives have been changed by diabetes. So if you have diabetes, any type of diabetes, or you have a family member or good friend with diabetes, this is an excellent place to join.
My good friend Manny Hernandez started TuDiabetes in March of last year, it now has almost 4,400 members. They support each other in various groups, sometimes get together at organized events and generally share information and help each other live better with diabetes.
If you understand the importance of work like this, now is a good time to support TuDiabetes and its work. Recently Manny started the Diabetes Hands Foundation and he's trying to put together a fund that will enable the foundation to work in a more direct way for folks with diabetes. If you can spare even $10, that would go a long way towards helping them reach their goal by the end of September.
While you're at TuDiabetes, check out their Word in Your Hand competition. They're looking for photographs of your hand with a single word on it that captures how you feel about diabetes. Check out the winners from last week, there's a lot of creative folks out there.
Then think about entering one of your own pictures in the competition. All of us with diabetes need a hand, and yours could be one of them.
Last year Amy wrote an open letter to Steve Jobs. The design company Adaptive Path took up the challenge and created a design concept for a new device called Charmr.
Recently Medgadget (co-host of the competition) reported on some diabetes device design work by Sascha Morawetz.
This year the challenge has two prizes. $1,000 for 18 and over and the same for those under 18. The competition is open until May 26th. Read Amy's blog for full details.
Designers, ask someone you know with diabetes about the devices they use several times a day. The 'design' is close to awful. Some of the newer devices are an improvement, but very small. Look at the market reaction to the UltraMini blood glucose meter, and that's just because it's got a cute shape and is available in colors.
I do hope this year produces some designs that will make it into real devices. I can't wait to watch the entries on YouTube.
Apparently there's a photo project currently underway. It runs from September 17th through September 23rd and it's organized by the same people who brought you the best-selling A Day in the Life and America 24/7 books.
It's actually called America at Home. But I thought, why not make part of it be Diabetes at Home?
After all there are a lot of Americans living 24 by 7 with diabetes. And it impacts our lives from the moment we get up in the morning till after we fall asleep at night.
Thursday is Dinner Time. Maybe you can cover how you test your blood sugar and bolus before dinner to cover the meal.
And this Sunday is Bedtime Rituals. How about set changes, or making sure you can hear the CGM alarm if it goes off at night for one of your children, or night-time testing while your kids are asleep?
Also, any day you like you can just submit general photos. Maybe show how we all live normal lives despite what we drag along with us because of diabetes. And I'm not just talking about supplies here.
Please submit quality photographs that are likely to be considered for the book. I've also created a Flickr group, Diabetes at Home, where you can also upload your entries for all to see.
Maybe we'll have a real competition there, let me know what you think about that idea.
Sorry for not noticing this sooner. What are you waiting for? Get shooting.
The Diabetes Technology Blog is focused on using technology to live life to the full with diabetes. I review new diabetes technology including: blood glucose monitors; continuous glucose monitors; blood sugar meters; diabetes software and living with diabetes.
About Me
Name: Bernard Farrell
Location: Massachusetts, United States
I was born in Ireland and now live in the US.
I have had Type 1 diabetes for over 36 years. I struggle with my blood sugar, the same as most people with diabetes.
I wear a Cozmo 1800 insulin pump and a Dexcom SEVEN Plus CGM to track my blood glucose levels.
I'm blessed by God, and every day brings the possibility of a cure.
The competition is open from tomorrow March 2, 2009, to end of day (PST) on May 1st, 2009. Each entry is judged on three criteria: Relevance; Clinical Efficacy; Aesthetics. You can submit a video or a paper describing your idea. Full details are on the entry page for the competition.
