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LoopDocs Overview

LoopDocs  Contents

The  LoopDocs  website is organized as follows

  • Home: What is  Loop?
  • Intro: Introduction to  Loop  and  LoopDocs
  • New with  Loop  3: Two ways to build
  • Set Up: How to set up your  Loop  app
  • Operate: How to use the  Loop  app
  • Troubleshoot: What to do if you're having trouble with the  Loop  app
  • Version: Information about  Loop  versions, code customization and development
  • Nightscout: Loop -specific  Nightscout  details; Nightscout is an open-source cloud application used by people with diabetes and their caregivers
    • Remote Overview: Overview on issuing commands remotely to a  Loop  app using  Nightscout  and Apple Push Notifications
    • Loop Caregiver: Companion app useful for remote commands
  • FAQs: Pages with safety tips, frequently asked questions and the Glossary
  • Translation: Links to Google Translate provided as a convenience, no guaratees about the quality of the translation

It is totally understandable if the thought of building and operating your own  Loop  app feels intimidating. As you learn the information explained in  LoopDocs, this will start feeling more comfortable.

Building  Loop

The process for building the  Loop  app is divided into short segments (sections or pages) in the Build tabs of  LoopDocs.

Best Practice: Learn to Build

You are strongly encouraged to build  Loop  for yourself.

  • No links to providers who build  Loop  as a service are found in  LoopDocs
  • If you choose to use such a service, before you begin, you should:
    • Read  LoopDocs
    • Know how to Set up and Operate  Loop
    • Ask what features, if any, available with DIY loop are not available with their service
    • These steps are important for your safety

Using a Simulator

You can build Loop and practice with a simulated phone, CGM and/or pump. You can "dose" the simulated pump and your real pump at the same time and watch the glucose predictions.

Starting with a simulator can help you decide if you want to move forward with purchasing additional items required to use the app. You can:

  • Learn the interface
  • Explore glucose predictions and dosing recommendations

Locked Phone or App in Background

Do not expect the simulator to work when the phone is locked or the app is in the background. The app relies on a real insulin pump or a real CGM to wake up the app when the phone is locked or the app is in the background. The simulator cannot do this.

Please review Simulator Build for more information.

Simulator using Browser Build:

  • No Mac computer required
  • Must have a paid Apple Developer ID ($99/year)
  • Must have a compatible phone

Simulator using Mac-Xcode Build:

  • Must have a Mac computer (or virtual machine, Intel chips only)
  • Can build the simulator with a free Apple Developer ID
    • Build to Mac (no phone required)
    • Build to compatible phone

Operating  Loop

A significant amount of content is provided on this website and via link to other sources. Please review these pages when initially setting up and learning to use  Loop.

Some techniques are specific to  Loop, but the general concepts of how man-made insulin works and strategies to test basal, carb ratios and insulin sensitivity apply to all the hybrid closed-loop systems, commercial and open source.

Development History

Loop  is an open-source, shared project. The entire project has been, and continues to be, done by volunteers. From the code to the website, you're getting all this because dozens of volunteers have given their time, so please add your time by reading this website thoroughly before embarking on your  Loop  journey.

Here are development history links to other resources for you to explore.