It calls itself as a free and transparent project to create an adjustable and free artificial pancreas system.
The platform itself is not a product, that is, it is not an apparatus that can be purchased, or a service, but rather the documentation and software necessary so that anyone can program said diabetes control system.
Many affected by this disease choose to implant an insulin pump system and glycemia controller.These devices serve to pump slowly action insulin continuously, allowing the bolus (a "chute" of fast -acting insulin) to be administered after the food, to simulate the pancreas.This organ is constantly segregating insulin, controlling the sugar levels that we have in blood.
Patients with diabetes replace the functions of the pancreas with regular insulin punctures or with the administration in continuous, for which these artificial pancreas are used.In addition to the pump, systems of this type can have blood glucose detectors, that is, blood sugar, continuous.But the vast majority does not have an efficient control system, and those who do are very expensive.
Openops, makes a DIY system (do it yourself) available to the people totally adjustable and open, which allows the development and implementation of adjustments, administration formulas and almost anything that occurs to the community: implementation with an appMobile, personalized control.As they explain, the platform is designed to be interoperative (that there are no brand borders, for example) and that can be used easily and with existing devices in the market.
free, free, tailored ... and fast
Openops does not give limits to what the community can develop in relation to the system it offers.On the contrary, it invites each one to develop the modifications that it creates appropriate.This has a reason: producing an insulin control device is a slow and expensive process since every medical device has to be approved by the corresponding regulatory body.This negatively affects patients with diabetes, who sometimes have to wait years for a adjustment or a new system to reach the market.
Therefore, one of the slogans of the platform is #wearenotwaiting, "we do not expect more", which refers to the need to accelerate some of these adjustments to offer a higher quality of life to patients.The artificial pancreas system wants to give that opportunity allowing each one to adjust insulin administration to their own needs.
It allows developers to create new implementations and applications associated with the system, offering almost unlimited potential
It also allows developers to create new implementations and applications associated with the system, offering almost unlimited potential.For example, one of the most widespread consequences of the use of this open artificial pancreas is that patients do not need such strict control, since they more naturally adjust insulin pumps according to their metabolism.
The implementation with other devices, such as mobile phones, becomes much simpler since with this platform patients do not depend on proprietary software.The one that everyone can develop for Openops is also a point in favor of the platform, since there is a true legion of developers and programmers willing to collaborate in free projects.
Not everything is advantages
Although the project already has more than 700 users, and very good results, according to sources of the project itself, health is a thorny issue and that generates justified doubts.The first one, without a doubt, is that of their safety.According to the project, OpenopsIt is designed to be safe at all.
However, this artificial pancreas, like any other in the market, is not 100% autonomous, which leaves part of security to the user, who is at the same time that has made the system.This process leaves some ethical concerns in the medical community.
Another of the big problems associated with this system is that you have to do it yourself, which requires a certain technical knowledge.Although from the project they have tried to simplify their use to the fullest, it is clear that Openops is not suitable for a completely lego audience in computer science.For example, you have to know how to install the code, get some components, understand some Basic Linux commands ...
Openops2
The platform makes an extensive documentation available to the world, including basic design, hardware profiles, compatibilities ... but you have to be minimally familiar with this language before being able to use it.
Openops does not offer hardware of any kind and the device must be acquired by the user
As we said, Openops does not offer hardware of any kind.The device will have to acquire it, something that can be done second or new.On the other hand, not all insulin bombs work with Openops, although they are increasingly thanks to the community's effort.In Spain, the three best -known brands are Medtronic, Roche and Animas, and Openops works with the pumps of the first one without problem.
At the moment it seems that the project is growing with a very positive feedback, although it is still small for the amount of diabetics that exist in the world.For the most optimistic, this artificial pancreas is the beginning of an entire revolution.For others, the thing still has a long way to go.In any case, we can no longer turn our backs on Biohacking, which has reached our lives to stay.
