Atomic layer deposition of thin films for silicon photoelectrode protection during solar water splitting

Energy security and climate change have brought on an increasing demand and urgency for the transition from fossil fuel dependency to more sustainable sources of renewable energy. Of the available renewable energy sources at our disposal, solar energy is by far the most abundant. However, the inherent variability of solar energy warrants the development of storage techniques for use during periods of low supply and high demand. Hydrogen fuel is a widely adaptable form of chemical fuel storage making it of great interest for the storage of solar energy. Semiconductor-based photoelectrochemical water splitting has the potential to be an elegant and efficient method of renewable hydrogen fuel production through the capture, conversion and storage of solar energy. Candidate materials must exhibit several exacting characteristics with low cost, and specific electronic properties being paramount. Silicon satisfies these requirements, however its susceptibility to photocorrosion and photopassivation in electrolyte solution hinders its performance. Consequently, Si is incapable of extended use for water splitting without the application of a protective layer such as to distance the harsh water splitting chemical reactions and electrolyte environment from the Si in order to enhance its stability. This work looks to protect the silicon photoelectrode and improve its performance and operational lifetime. Thin films (< 10 nm) of TiO2, NiO and CoN were deposited onto SiO2 via atomic layer deposition (ALD). This thesis details the nucleation, growth chemistry and photoelectrochemical performance of these transition metal -based thin films prepared via thermal and plasma enhanced ALD in addition to exploring the effect of post ALD film treatments by plasma and atmospheric annealing. Films were investigated using photoelectrochemical cell testing to evaluate photoelectrochemical performance, and in-situ cycle-by-cycle x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used as the primary characterisation technique

A European regulatory pathway for Tidepool loop following clearance in the United States?

The recent clearance by the United States Food and Drug Administration of Tidepool Loop sets an important precedent within the medical device landscape. For the first time, an automated insulin delivery mobile application—based on an algorithm initially designed and developed by users —has been recognised as safe and effective by a regulatory body. The aim of this paper is twofold: firstly, we map out the regulatory pathways and processes that were navigated by Tidepool, the non‐profit behind Tidepool Loop, in order to make this landmark moment possible. Secondly, we set out potential approvals processes in the European Union and United Kingdom with a view to examining the challenges to obtaining regulatory clearance for Tidepool Loop in these jurisdictions. In so doing, we highlight the significant differences, not only between the United States and European systems but also between the European Union and Great Britain systems. We conclude by arguing that the complexity encountered when seeking to introduce an innovative solution in different regulatory systems has the potential to act as a disincentive to open source developers from seeking regulatory approvals for such technologies in the future

Open Source Automated Insulin Delivery:Potential Pathways to Regulatory Approval

A note providing a broad overview of the regulatory pathways and processes that may be encountered by those seeking regulatory approvals for Open Source Automated Insulin Delivery apps/software in the United States, the European Union (including Northern Ireland), and Great Britain. It focuses on the distinctions in institutional structure, device classification, and processes for regulatory approval or conformity assessment in the three jurisdictions.The note is based on research presented in Laura Downey, Shane O’Donnell, Tom Melvin, and Muireann Quigley, “A European regulatory pathway for Tidepool loop following clearance in the United States?” Diabetic Medicine 2023;00:e15246. https://doi.org/10.1111/dme.1524

Open Source Automated Insulin Delivery: Potential Pathways to Regulatory Approval

A note note providing a broad overview of the regulatory pathways and processes that may be encountered by those seeking regulatory approvals for Open Source Automated Insulin Delivery apps/software in the United States, the European Union (including Northern Ireland), and Great Britain. It focuses on the distinctions in institutional structure, device classification, and processes for regulatory approval or conformity assessment in the three jurisdictions.The note is based on research presented in Laura Downey, Shane O’Donnell, Tom Melvin, and Muireann Quigley, “A European regulatory pathway for Tidepool loop following clearance in the United States?” Diabetic Medicine 2023;00:e15246. https://doi.org/10.1111/dme.1524

Real-World Use of Do-It-Yourself Artificial Pancreas Systems in Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: Online Survey and Analysis of Self-Reported Clinical Outcomes

BACKGROUND: Patient-driven initiatives have made uptake of Do-it-Yourself Artificial Pancreas Systems (DIYAPS) increasingly popular among people with diabetes of all ages. Observational studies have shown improvements in glycemic control and quality of life among adults with diabetes. However, there is a lack of research examining outcomes of children and adolescents with DIYAPS in everyday life and their social context. OBJECTIVE: This survey assesses the self-reported clinical outcomes of a pediatric population using DIYAPS in the real world. METHODS: An online survey was distributed to caregivers to assess the hemoglobin A1c levels and time in range (TIR) before and after DIYAPS initiation and problems during DIYAPS use. RESULTS: A total of 209 caregivers of children from 21 countries responded to the survey. Of the children, 47.4% were female, with a median age of 10 years, and 99.4% had type 1 diabetes, with a median duration of 4.3 years (SD 3.9). The median duration of DIYAPS use was 7.5 (SD 10.0) months. Clinical outcomes improved significantly, including the hemoglobin A1c levels (from 6.91% [SD 0.88%] to 6.27% [SD 0.67]; P<.001) and TIR (from 64.2% [SD 15.94] to 80.68% [SD 9.26]; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Improved glycemic outcomes were found across all pediatric age groups, including adolescents and very young children. These findings are in line with clinical trial results from commercially developed closed-loop systems

Open-source Web Portal for Managing Self-reported Data and Real-world Data Donation in Diabetes Research: Platform Feasibility Study

Background: People with diabetes and their support networks have developed open-source automated insulin delivery systems to help manage their diabetes therapy, as well as to improve their quality of life and glycemic outcomes. Under the hashtag #WeAreNotWaiting, a wealth of knowledge and real-world data have been generated by users of these systems but have been left largely untapped by research; opportunities for such multimodal studies remain open. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of several aspects of open-source automated insulin delivery systems including challenges related to data management and security across multiple disparate web-based platforms and challenges related to implementing follow-up studies. Methods: We developed a mixed methods study to collect questionnaire responses and anonymized diabetes data donated by participants-which included adults and children with diabetes and their partners or caregivers recruited through multiple diabetes online communities. We managed both front-end participant interactions and back-end data management with our web portal (called the Gateway). Participant questionnaire data from electronic data capture (REDCap) and personal device data aggregation (Open Humans) platforms were pseudonymously and securely linked and stored within a custom-built database that used both open-source and commercial software. Participants were later given the option to include their health care providers in the study to validate their questionnaire responses; the database architecture was designed specifically with this kind of extensibility in mind. Results: Of 1052 visitors to the study landing page, 930 participated and completed at least one questionnaire. After the implementation of health care professional validation of self-reported clinical outcomes to the study, an additional 164 individuals visited the landing page, with 142 completing at least one questionnaire. Of the optional study elements, 7 participant-health care professional dyads participated in the survey, and 97 participants who completed the survey donated their anonymized medical device data. Conclusions: The platform was accessible to participants while maintaining compliance with data regulations. The Gateway formalized a system of automated data matching between multiple data sets, which was a major benefit to researchers. Scalability of the platform was demonstrated with the later addition of self-reported data validation. This study demonstrated the feasibility of custom software solutions in addressing complex study designs. The Gateway portal code has been made available open-source and can be leveraged by other research groups

Emotional and Physical Health Impact in Children and Adolescents and Their Caregivers Using Open-source Automated Insulin Delivery: Qualitative Analysis of Lived Experiences

Background: Given the limitations in the access and license status of commercially developed automated insulin delivery (AID) systems, open-source AID systems are becoming increasingly popular among people with diabetes, including children and adolescents. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the lived experiences and physical and emotional health implications of children and their caregivers following the initiation of open-source AID, their perceived challenges, and sources of support, which have not been explored in the existing literature. Methods: Data were collected through 2 sets of open-ended questions from a web-based multinational survey of 60 families from 16 countries. The narratives were thematically analyzed, and a coding framework was identified through iterative alignment. Results: A range of emotions and improvements in quality of life and physical health were reported, as open-source AID enabled families to shift their focus away from diabetes therapy. Caregivers were less worried about hypoglycemia at night and outside their family homes, leading to increased autonomy for the child. Simultaneously, the glycemic outcomes and sleep quality of both the children and caregivers improved. Nonetheless, the acquisition of suitable hardware and technical setup could be challenging. The #WeAreNotWaiting community was the primary source of practical and emotional support. Conclusions: Our findings show the benefits and transformative impact of open-source AID and peer support on children with diabetes and their caregivers and families, where commercial AID systems are not available or suitable. Further efforts are required to improve the effectiveness and usability and facilitate access for children with diabetes, worldwide, to benefit from this innovative treatment

Barriers to uptake of Open-Source automated insulin delivery Systems: Analysis of socioeconomic factors and perceived challenges of adults with type 1 diabetes from the OPEN survey

Aims: Social and technical trends are empowering people with diabetes to co-create or self-develop medical devices and treatments to address their unmet healthcare needs, for example, open-source automated insulin delivery (AID) systems. This study aims to investigate the perceived barriers towards adoption and maintaining of open-source AID systems. Methods: This is a multinational study based on a cross-sectional, retrospective web-based survey of non-users of open-source AID. Participants (n = 129) with type 1 diabetes from 31 countries were recruited online to elicit their perceived barriers towards building and maintaining of an open-source AID system. Results: Sourcing the necessary components, lack of confidence in one's own technology knowledge and skills, perceived time and energy required to build a system, and fear of losing healthcare provider support appear to be major barriers towards the uptake of open-source AID. Conclusions: This study identified a range of structural and individual-level barriers to uptake of open-source AID. Some of these individual-level barriers may be overcome over time through the peer support of the DIY online community as well as greater acceptance of open-source innovation among healthcare professionals. The findings have important implications for understanding the possible wider diffusion of open-source diabetes technology solutions in the future.European Commission Horizon 2020Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE)DFG funds for Digital Clinician Scientist Program of the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH)SPOKES Wellcome Trust Translational Partnership Progra