12th December 2007

Glucoboy was launched on World Diabetes Day back in November. It is claimed to be the first blood glucose meter to improve diabetes management using video game technology.

The device encourages children with type 1 diabetes to test their blood glucose levels by unlocking new characters and secret game levels available in one of five games.

Some of the characters in the game include Commander Coda, a galaxy hopping maverick who fights his way through a planet of aliens to rescue the admiral’s daughter, Janet, and Hunter, a regular boy, who takes on Carnie Cal and his evil clowns.

To avoid extra testing to accumulate more points, the device is programmed to only accept the recommended six tests a day.

The device was invented by an American businessman Paul Wessel, funded by an Australian investment bank and jointly marketed by Diabetes Australia-NSW. Paul Wessel of Loretto in Minnesota invented Glucoboy (www.glucoboy.com) after his son Luke, who has type 1 diabetes, deliberately kept losing his blood glucose meter because he hated testing.

Yet, Mr Wessel discovered that when Luke misplaced his Nintendo Gameboy, he found it within minutes.

“Luke immediately went to the couch and lifted up one of the cushions and lo and behold there was his Gameboy,” he says.

“That moment something came to me – if I could combine blood glucose testing and video gaming technologies, perhaps Luke would be more motivated to test”.

Mr Wessel said he designed Glucoboy to help other parents avoid what he went through with Luke.

He said Glucoboy was designed to turn a daily regimen of finger pricking and blood glucose testing, hated by most children who have type 1 diabetes, to motivate them to manage their disease.

Liz Peers, CEO of Diabetes Australia-NSW (www.diabetesnsw.com.au) says this is the most exciting and innovative blood glucose monitoring system she has ever seen.

“There is finally a device that addresses the needs of children with diabetes in this way,” Ms Peers says.

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