A tool has been developed by the AZ Sint Maarten hospital in Mechelen and the University of Antwerp to make it easier for diabetic patients with physical disabilities to take a blood sample. The device holds the sampler steady so that only one hand is needed to take the sample.
The diabetes clinic at AZ Sint Maarten is facing an increasing demand for help from diabetics with physical disabilities. “Several patients have difficulty injecting themselves and need help,” says Ilde Van den Bulck, team leader at the diabetes clinic at the Mechelen hospital. “These include people with semi-lateral paralysis or who are blind due to diabetes. We cannot organise home care for everyone, which would also have a negative impact on the patients’ independence, as they would have to wait up to four times a day for a nurse to come by.”
The team then approached UAntwerpen, whose students and alumni have developed several prototypes. The winner is none other than a holder, into which it is “easy” to insert the blood sugar measuring device, according to Dr. Thomas Huybrechts, senior researcher at UAntwerpen. The tool “easily attaches to a cabinet or table leg, so you don’t need an extra hand to prick yourself.”
The device will be offered to patients through the hospital. It costs one euro and is 3D printed.
Ilde Van den Bulck estimates that about 10% of diabetic patients could benefit from it. “People who do not have a physical disability will also be able to use it, it can be carried in a bag and is easy for everyone to use.”
