7a - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

My opportunity wants to focus on the challenges diabetics face when it comes to storing insulin and ensuring maximum shelf life.

The who: Diabetics who require insulin.

The what: Currently diabetics have to keep their insulin refrigerated at all times which means they need to be close enough to a building or some sort of source that can provide 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit.

The why: This is because when insulin goes above that temperature range the proteins start to break down and starts to spoil and not function as well when injected to help regulate blood sugar levels.  

Testing the who: People that have this need are diabetics who require insulin injection daily to keep a healthy functioning blood sugar level balance.

Testing the what: The boundaries of this need are people that want to travel away from a refrigeration source which typically requires electricity to maintain a temperature within the 36 to 46 degree Fahrenheit range. Insulin can be warmed but when warmed it is only good for 28 days and remaining insulin will need to be discarded because it will not function.

Testing the why: All though insulin will be good for 28 days, if multiple vials of insulin are warmed then majority of the insulin will most likely be spoiled by the time you actually need to use it. Diabetics who want to perform high energy activities may require more insulin because they will be constantly ingesting food to help increase blood sugar and will require insulin to get it back to normal levels.

Conducted interviews: In my interviews I was able to ask 5 buddies that have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. I was able to discover obvious restrictions as well as missed opportunities that they each shared because of diabetes. In one of my interviews I was able to discuss the missed opportunity of joining a military branch or even becoming public service personnel. My friend Max could not join the Army because of diabetes, the fear was that if he were to be deployed which would be well over 28 days he would not be able to store insulin even if he was not part of a combat role. Because insulin is such a vital medicine it cannot be replaced or tampered with. Another friend who is an air medic is also restricted although he has an insulin pump connected to his abdomen he still has a requirement of storing his insulin in a cool place and needing access to it throughout the majority of his day. John who is the air medic wants to look into other training and certifications within his field but he knows he will have hard times finding work because of his dependency of insulin. I also discovered that all 5 of my subjects rarely let their insulin get to room temperature because the vials sometimes will last a long time and 28 days will be to short and the vials will spoil. My 5 subjects also wanted to pursue some sort of active duty roles and despite the new technologies for insulin injection and blood sugar regulation research has not created and insulin that can last longer than 28 days when brought to room temperature.