Modelling and simulation of occlusions in insulin pumps.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Insulin pumps are critical for diabetes management.
• Understanding mechanical properties and failure modes is essential for device safety.
• Existing models may not fully capture complex mechanical behaviors and fluid dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an open-source simulation model of a fully functional insulin pump.
• To simulate realistic mechanical properties, internal pressures, and fluid dynamics.
• To investigate failure modes, such as occlusions, and their impact on pump performance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Matlab Simscape for creating the open-source simulation model.
• Validated model components against real-world insulin pump systems.
• Performed simulations focusing on mechanical forces, internal pressures, and fluid dynamics.

Main Results:

• The simulation model accurately replicates realistic insulin pump behavior.
• Validated components demonstrate the model's fidelity to real-world systems.
• Simulations provide insights into how failures like occlusions affect pump mechanics and fluid flow.

Conclusions:

• Realistic insulin pump simulations can enhance understanding of failure modes.
• The model facilitates the analysis of failure impacts on system performance.
• This approach can lead to improved detection methods for pump failures, increasing user safety and device reliability.