Desarrollo de una aplicación móvil para el cálculo de la dosis de insulina diaria de los pacientes de la Fundación Fuvida

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus specifically Type 1 is a leading cause of mortality; not only is there a lack of data regarding these cases, but there is also a shortage of tools to assist patients suffering from the disease. The Fuvida Foundation is a non-governmental organization dedicated to supporting families with members who have Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). Insulin therapy is the cornerstone of T1D treatment, involving the administration of rapid-acting insulin boluses immediately after meals to normalize the metabolic disturbances associated with the condition. This project proposes the creation of an Android smartphone application capable of calculating insulin dosages for T1D patients. The system is designed to recognize the specific characteristics of foods common to the Ecuadorian diet, basing insulin calculations primarily on the patients' biopsychosocial factors—adjusted via a mathematical model—and featuring a user-friendly interface. The biological contribution to this multidisciplinary project lies in the collaborative development of the insulin dosage calculation algorithm and the daily dosage adjustment coefficient used in the app. Named "Lina," the application was developed with an interface capable of recognizing traditional Ecuadorian dishes and estimating the carbohydrate content consumed by the user. Implementation tests demonstrated a visual recognition accuracy rate of 61.63%—a figure expected to improve as the application is used over time—and the system's results were compared against calculations from insulin pumps used by T1D patients to verify safety and reliability. In addition to this, the application features a history module where all user queries are saved, allowing the patient's primary endocrinologist to medically evaluate their health and how they are managing it in relation to their food intake.