Khyla Carter Capstone

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune condition that impacts the lives of billions of children everyday. I learned that all current devices are adult technology adapted for children, not designed child-first and that is what I most importantly needed to figure out how to change in my capstone idea without making it unrealistic for a child.

The “Duet”, which is to solve the “dual-device” problem where children currently have to wear one patch for a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) and have to take needles in order to take their insulin and multiple pricks to check their glucose level. It’s a device that “thinks” for itself, using a sensor to read blood sugar and an internal pump to deliver insulin automatically without extra tubes.

The Duet doesn’t just manage blood sugar; it manages a child’s quality of life. It’s small, it’s silent, and most importantly, it’s invisible. It allows kids to just be kids.

The “Duet” is inspired by the current lifestyle of my little brother Kyan, diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the early age of five years old, questioning his childhood, asking my mother when will he be “normal” again and remembering the lifestyle he once lived that isn’t his lifestyle anymore. Living with a condition that others don’t have to experience, knowing my device doesn’t remove the permanent aspect of this condition, the Duet makes the lifestyle manageable and better to navigate, especially for children and that was my goal, improvement.

Link to my final Product: https://canva.link/g1kjyiyo1b9fvg1