Applivate, a start-up company based in New Haven, Conn., has just released its ShugaTrak Android app to help parents of diabetic children to monitor their children's blood glucose.
The ShugaTrak concept originally won New Haven's first Startup Weekend competition, sponsored by the New Haven Innovation Ecosystem, also known as The Grid, in 2011. After winning the competition, Applivate co-founder John Fitzpatrick developed both the ShugaTrak app and website.
A child that has diabetes can take a blood glucose reading using a Bluetooth-equipped device. The device can then send the reading to the ShugaTrak app in a smartphone. Once ShugaTrak records the reading, it sends an SMS or e-mail to the parent's smartphone so that the parent can keep track of the child's blood glucose readings.
In addition to receiving SMS and e-mail alerts, parents can check their child's readings online. So far, the app is only available from Google Play for Android smartphones.
Fitzgerald was inspired to develop ShugaTrak by his wife, Sandra. Sandra, who has Type 1 diabetes, recently became pregnant. Her pregnancy required John's partnership to keep track of her glucose readings, and his experience with Sandra inspired John to promote ShugaTrak as a tool for diabetic children and their parents.
Children with Type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes, stop producing insulin when their immune systems attack and destroy the insulin-producing cells in their pancreas. Children wit juvenile diabetes take insulin daily, and they must continue to take insulin for the rest of their lives.
The other type of diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, is a metabolic disorder in which the child's body still produces insulin but can't use it effectively. Not all children with Type 2 diabetes require insulin into adulthood. Type 2 diabetes used to be diagnosed in adulthood, but rising obesity rates have caused more cases of diabetes in children and teenagers.
Applivate has also secured funding from two primary State of Connecticut sources. Connecticut's statewide entrepreneur support network, CTNEXT, has thrown its resources and services behind ShugaTrak. In addition, Connecticut Innovations, a quasi-public authority investing in Connecticut technological startups, has provided funding for Applivate and ShugaTrak.
Edited by
Stefania Viscusi
