The Pengueeni,a penguin-shaped device that’s small enough to fit in the palm of a hand could change how children with diabetes monitor their blood sugar levels. The device could be made of plastic and used with standard lancing equipment and blood test strips. The Pengueeni could fill a niche because if children are afraid of needles or get sore from having to prick their fingers every day, they might be less inclined to monitor their blood sugar. If that happens, they might not eat foods that provide the nutrients needed to stay healthy. In addition, the comforting shape of an animal that’s popular with kids could reduce their anxiety, which in turn could ease the concern of parents, said Racquel Redwood, one of the inventors of the device called Pengueeni. She and engineering student Joel Fladen were credited as the inventors, Redwood said. The designers were Casey Schneider and Lily daMota, students in UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP).

Ryzodeg® is the intended brand name for insulin degludec/insulin aspart, which contains the new-generation basal insulin degludec in a formulation with a bolus boost of insulin aspart. Ryzodeg® is the first and only soluble insulin combination of ultra-long-acting insulin degludec and the most prescribed rapid-acting insulin, NovoRapid® (NovoLog®in the US), providing both fasting and post-prandial glucose control. Ryzodeg® launch is expected this year and will be available in FlexTouch®, Novo Nordisks latest prefilled insulin pen, which has an easy auto-injector mechanism.