Lifecare has been hard at work researching and developing their own implantable Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), Sencell. What makes it stand out from all of the other CGMs on the market, is that it is an implantable device that gets injected under the skin and can transit blood sugar data for over a 6 month period.
Want to learn more about how it works? You’ve come to the right place, read on!
How the Sencell CGM Works
The Sencell sensor technology provides real time, long term, accurate glucose readings straight to your smart device. It uses osmotic pressure readings to determine blood sugar level.
The main objective of the Sencell Implantable Miniaturized Osmotic Sensor Device is to provide a convenient, efficient, reliable, painless, accurate and durable continuous glucose measurement (CGM) solution at a low cost for daily use to people with diabetes. The unique and advanced technology of Sencell offers a novel and disruptive technology for the global market.
The cantilever based glucose sensor will be used as a reference glucose sensor recalibrating signal drift in the osmotic pressure sensor approach. The sensor (with dimensions in the µm scale) will be implemented on the surface of the osmotic chamber with direct access to the interstitial fluid. The overall size of the two cantilevers is about 500 µm in substrate length and1 mm in substrate width. The cantilevers are about 50×50 µm² (length × width) and feature a thickness of 100 nm to 300 nm. These small dimensions allow easy incorporation of the cantilever array in the existing Sencell implant designs. Additionally, the cantilevers’ small dimensions enable a high sensitivity.
Inject The Sensor Under Your Skin
The sensor is a tiny, implantable 3D printed nano-sensor developed for insertion under your skin in a subcutaneous location. It can stay in place for a minimum of 6 months, wireless, continuous, read out unit real time glucose measurement for diabetes management.
What Does The Sencell Package Contain
The Sencell glucose monitoring system includes:
- An osmotic pressure sensor (sensor core)
- Transmitter (sensor electronics)
- Mobile medical application (reader) to continuously measure glucose in the interstitial fluid.
How It All Comes Together
- The Sencell micro sensor will be injected under the skin on your wrist and operate independently to provide you with continuous glycemic information.
2. The sensor transmits blood sugar data in real time wirelessly from the to your smart device. The sensor is self-sustained with energy. Therefor you can read the glucose data whenever you want on your smart device.
3. The wireless, real time data transfer, includes an alarm function to alert you when your blood glucose level is outside of the range you have set.
LifeCare Sencell Specifications
Size
2 by3 by 6 mm^3. This small size allows the sensor to be injected under the skin by means of a pre-filled (or “pre-loaded”) syringe-like device.
Lifespan
Minimum 6 months before it needs to be replaced. this means that after you inject it, you can go for at least 6 months without needing to replace it (works out to 2 injections per year).
Easy insertion process
No need for an operation, it is a simple procedure and can be completed at an outpatient setting
Wireless Data Transmission
Can send the latest blood sugar data in real time wirelessly to a smart device.
When Will The Sencell Implantable Continuous Glucose Monitor Be Available
As of February 2021, Lifecare has received regulatory approval for the first-in-human Sencell Clinical Study Protocol from the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). Lifecare plans for additional pre-clinical and clinical trials in the second half 2021.
If this will be a successful trial, this will mark great progress for the Forget Diabetes initiative, which aims to use the Sencell CGM for it’s fully-implantable, fully-automated, artificial pancreas for intraperitoneal hormone delivery, enabling an optimal glycemic control for type-1 diabetes patients