Now that we know it’s possible to intercept and decipher the wireless signals sent to and from our insulin pumps from other devices, how can we turn this into something useful?
What if someone were to design a device, a “translator”, so to speak, that allowed incompatible wireless devices to work with each other? Something that could, for instance, listen to a Dexcom CGM, and then transmit the results to a Medtronic Revel in a format it expects to see, complete with (pseudo-) serial number, ISIG, and so forth? Or maybe it could listen for a BG reading from a Novomax Link meter and translate it into PingSpeak?
Would such a device be useful? Helpful? Worth carrying something else around for? Worth designing?
(Footnote: I hold no intellectual rights, patents, or anything else relating to the above idea, as I just thought of it five minutes ago. However, I’ve worked professionally for 15 years in the wireless field and would be happy to contribute if anyone with product development capabilities is reading this and would like to pursue it… unless the comments below say it would be a waste of everyone’s time and money)
The scandalous part is controlling dosage, which is a very small part of what most of these devices do. AFAIK, thats relegated to a single pump… omnipod. That can be mitigated with a shorter range for transmitter (like 5 feet at most), and encryption seeded when the pump device is started. Everything else would be more a privacy concern than anything, and that is the patients prerogative, and doesn’t have any real impact on insurance companies or manufacturers.
But to answer your question, definitely. As diabetics, we have a uniquely high degree of responsibility for controlling our own treatment. Who else has to do math to eat a sandwich? We would benefit greatly from a higher degree of flexibility when dealing with all the data we do on a daily basis in managing our treatment. When looked at from a far, a few extra button presses is minor, but if you multiply that by daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or even a whole lifetime of repetitions, it becomes a mind numbing chore. If the patient had more ways to cut out tedium, and increase awareness of the various aspects of their treatment, they would be happier and healthier.
