The 14th of November carries a unique significance as we celebrate World Diabetes Day. This date aligns with the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, a trailblazer in the realm of medicine. Renowned for his collaborative discovery of insulin alongside Charles Best in 1922, Banting's groundbreaking work not only secured them the Nobel Prize in 1923 but also paved the way for a medical breakthrough that has reshaped healthcare on a global scale — the discovery of insulin.
Despite the scientific community making remarkable progress in diabetes research and transforming the landscape of diabetes care, all in pursuit of the ultimate goal of finding a cure, the prevalence of diabetes continues to rise at alarming rates.
A report published earlier this year by Diabetes UK revealed that the incidence of diabetes in the UK has surpassed five million for the first time [1].
Taking a global perspective on this pandemic, the findings are equally concerning. Recent publications in The Lancet and The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journals project that the global number of adults with diabetes will surpass 1.3 billion by 2050, more than doubling the current figures [1].
The above figures and research underscore a concerning upward trend in the number of people diagnosed with diabetes. Occuity is committed to addressing this escalating diabetes pandemic through two distinct devices united by our patented technology platform. If you have been following our journey, you are likely aware that our vision revolves around developing solutions that offer a safe, convenient and quick way
to screen for various chronic diseases, including diabetes, through a simple eye scan.
Occuity ‘SD1’ diabetes screening prototype
The first way in which we are doing this is through the development of a non-contact handheld device that will have fluorescence capability to detect disease markers in the eye such as AGE’s (Advanced Glycation End-products) which build up in the eye over time. Supported by cutting-edge machine learning techniques, the SD1 seeks to offer a swift diagnosis, categorising individuals as non-diabetic, pre-diabetic, or diabetic. This approach aims to revolutionize diabetes screening, empowering individuals to proactively combat the disease.
Excitingly, in internal testing the team has already collected preliminary data on a few eyes ahead of schedule. Occuity has now released this data, available for download in the report provided below. Download the report here.
The Occuity Indigo
Occuity is also addressing diabetes through another innovative approach — the development of a personal-use, optical, non-contact glucose meter designed for non-invasive diabetes monitoring. Internally known as the G1 project and codenamed the Occuity Indigo, this device is the company's response to one of the most critical healthcare challenges globally: non-invasive glucose monitoring for diabetes. Although still in the research and development phase, the Occuity Indigo promises a pain-free, non-invasive, and hygienic operation. Moreover, it will be particularly suitable for individuals with diabetes who may encounter challenges with current finger stick testing, such as children, seniors, or those unable to self-administer traditional blood glucose tests.
Know your risk
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that a staggering 212 million people, equivalent to half of all adults currently living with diabetes, are undiagnosed, with the majority having type 2 diabetes.
To address this issue, IDF has introduced an online diabetes risk assessment designed to predict an individual's likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes within the next decade.
This quick and confidential test takes only a few minutes to complete - Take the Test!
We have a community of over 8,000 people with diabetes who have supported us in our mission to improve the screening and monitoring of diabetes. Why not join our diabetes community, and support us as we develop our non-invasive technology?