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Brief Video Demonstration

Basalsure with Pi Zero W and 433MHz Alarm

Basalsure with Pi 2 Model B

Basalsure is a device to help assure that insulin users get their overnight basal doses. It is designed for multiple daily injection (MDI) users that inject with standard insulin syringes. This device was first built to help my wife and me not miss overnight basal insulin doses for our son. Despite setting alarms on both sides of our bed, we found ourselves occasionally turning them off "in our sleep" and missing doses. This box is intended to help solve that problem.

At the time of this device's creation, our son's overnight Levemir doses were being given at 9:45pm and 2am. Basalsure understands that dosing schedule, which is configurable, and alarms if the appropriate syringe is not removed at the appropriate times. Syringes placed in the box are detected by photo interrupter sensors and the logic of the box is managed by a Raspberry Pi. In short, the box is a back-stop against us sleeping through our alarms.

An additional alarm condition is configured, as follows: if the 2am syringe is lifted from the box during the timeframe that the 9:45pm dose should be given, and the 9:45pm syringe is still placed, an immediate and constant buzzer sounds that can only be reset by re-placing the syringe.

A few years later, I also added a simple on/off switch to help us not sleep through the 11:30pm blood sugar check that we need to do (my son chooses to not use a CGM, so those checks are important). The concept is identical to placing and lifting syringes, but a simple switch is used instead of a photo interrupter sensor.

Alarms

Presently, these types of alarms are supported by Basalsure:

1. Push to mobile messages using https://Pushover.net.
2. SMS messaging via Twilio (which we enhance with the SMS ALARM app on Android)
   • Note that I stopped using Twilio in July of 2023 due to the cost and aggravation of A2P 10DLC, which is now imposed on all similar providers for texting to mobile numbers in the USA: https://www.twilio.com/en-us/a2p-10dlc
   • Instead, I now exclusively use Pushover.net and carrier Email-to-SMS gateways (SMTP)
3. SMTP email. Personally tested with Gmail as the SMTP server.
4. A buzzer inside of the box and/or a vibration puck outside the box.
5. A "momentary switch" which can be used to trigger an external alarm. See the enhancements sections for how this can trigger a 433MHz in-home healthcare alarm.

Hardware Designs

As of February 2023, there are two major "designs" of the boxes themselves (software is the same):

1. Original 2018 design: [2018 Build] - the original builds, with Pi 2 Model B and Pi Zero W.
2. Updated 2023 design: [2023 Build] - the "preparing for college" with Pi 3 Model B+.

Additional Info

• [Tips and tricks]

• Enhancements

  • Integrating a 433 MHz in-home healthcare alarm
  • Adding a 11:30pm blood sugar test alarm
  • Adding an external battery pack
  • Adding a "Real Time Clock" (RTC) module

• [TODO items]

• [Miscellaneous notes]

The wiki uses Markdown syntax.

Project Members:

• Lester Hightower (admin)