Leon DeJournett, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Leon DeJournett has more than thirty years of experience working in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Dr. DeJournett first became interested in glucose control in the ICU setting in 2007. After performing an extensive review of the literature in this area, he realized that the control methods in use at that time would not be able to provide safe and effective glucose control as they were not capable of keeping up with the highly dynamic glucose versus time curve seen in ICU patients.
Dr. DeJournett then performed an exhaustive review of the literature to determine how the pancreas and liver work in unison with one another to provide tight glucose control in healthy individuals – the results of this review were published in a peer reviewed journal in 2010. By combining knowledge gained from this review and computer coding skills learned in college, he wrote algorithms that mimic the workings of the native pancreas (insulin release) and liver (glucose release). These algorithms form an expert based rule system, which is considered a form of artificial intelligence (AI).
Dr. DeJournett has multiple peer reviewed publications related to the testing of this AI based glucose control software. In 2014 he formed the Ideal Medical Technologies corporation and subsequently led its development efforts of a closed loop glucose control system (artificial pancreas), which has been given the name FUSION. These efforts have included simulation testing, animal testing, a first-in-human safety study and collaboration with two multi-national corporations.
In addition, he has formed a collaborative agreement with Emory University for the purposes of performing the clinical studies of the FUSION system. These clinical studies are being led by Dr. Francisco Pasquel, who is one of the world's foremost authorities on inpatient glucose control. He also led the effort to obtain Breakthrough Medical Device designation status for the FUSION system, which was granted by the FDA to Ideal Medical Technologies in March 2019. Dr. DeJournett led the pre-submission meetings with the FDA that culminated in FDA approval of both our original IDE application, and our IDE Supplementary application that allowed for expansion of our first-in-human safety study. In 2023, he led a pre-submission meeting with the FDA that determined the FUSION system will be brought to market via the 510(k) pathway.
Dr. DeJournett received his medical training at Stanford University Medical Center.
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