Bolus calculator with nutrition database software, a new concept of prandial insulin programming for pump users

Abstract

Bolus calculators are effective tools in controlling blood glucose levels in patients treated with insulin. Diabetics is a new software devised for patients to facilitate and improve self-managing for prandial insulin dosing and for better controlling food intake. This device contains two integral parts: a nutrition database and a bolus calculator. The algorithm is based on a formula in which carbohydrate (CHO) and either fat and/or protein (FP) products are engulfed in insulin. The insulin dose setting is programmed individually for CHO in a normal bolus (N-W) and for FP in a square-wave bolus (S-W). The device calculates the dose of insulin for N-W or S-W, suggests the optimal kind of bolus, and indicates the timing in hours for an S-W bolus. In addition, this calculator, which contains a nutrition database and insulin dosing software, helps determine the correct type of necessary boluses for selected foods.

(c) 2010 Diabetes Technology Society.

Figures

Figure 1.

An example of calculating a created meal using the Diabetics software. BN, bolus normal; BS, bolus square; TID, total insulin dose.

Figure 2.

Main window of the Diabetics software. (1) Product or pack group hierarchy—listed data depend on the active tab (products or packs). (2) Search results—list of elements (product or packs) matching given search criteria. Element type depends on the active tab (products or packs). (3) Meal or selected pack content (products and inner packs)—detailed information about a meal or selected pack content (from search results). (4) Meal or selected pack calculations—detailed calculations for meal or selected pack. (5) Main menu and toolbar—group functions for managing units of measurement, data exporting and importing, managing archive data, managing user-sensitive data, application help, and program information. (6) Search bar—allows the user to define product or select search criteria. BN, bolus normal; BS, bolus square; TID, total insulin dose.