In silico comparison of continuous glucose monitor failure mode strategies for an artificial pancreas

Abstract

An artificial pancreas is a medical Internet of Thingsbased system consisting of a continuous glucose monitor, an insulin pump, and a micro-controller. The use of artificial pancreas systems is becoming increasingly popular amongst patients with type 1 diabetes due to its effective ability to allow the patient better control of his/her own blood glucose levels compared to other more standard treatments. In this paper, the problem of missing sensor readings in the glucose monitor data is considered. How should the microcontroller (which adjusts the insulin pump based on monitor readings) react when the glucose monitor stops transmitting for an unpredictable period of time? A strategy that answers this question is called a failure mode strategy. In this paper, several potential failure mode strategies are explored in the context of simulation experiments. Results are presented showing that at least one effective and simple failure mode strategy (0.5µ & LR<72) exists.