‘Artificial Pancreas’ to benefit diabetes patients

Leader in medical technology, Medtronic, has won approval from the FDA for an ‘artificial pancreas’.

The device, the MiniMed 670G, has been hailed as a breakthrough by the FDA and is the first device to automatically administer the correct doses of insulin to patients with type 1 diabetes who are aged 14 years and older.

For the device to work patients are given a sensor which is slipper under the skin. The sensor monitors blood sugar levels and wirelessly transmits data to a continuous glucose monitor. This data is then used by an insulin pump which can administer the drug if the wearer’s blood glucose levels are too low.

The MiniMed measures glucose levels every five minutes and automatically administers insulin when needed. However, patients will still need to instruct the device to deliver extra insulin and update the device if they exercise, which can lower glucose levels.

The device has the potential to help diabetic patients maintain good blood glucose levels helping to avoid things such as seizures, headaches, shaking, or in extreme cases, comas or even death.

A study featured in the New England Journal of Medicine, sponsored by diabetes charity JDRF, found that the device was particularly useful when used during the night. The study revealed that users’ glucose levels were in the correct range 59% of the time when using the device, compared to 29% without it. As people with type 1 diabetes are particularly vulnerable to dropping blood sugar levels when sleeping and the devices ability to automatically administer insulin should prove useful.

The MiniMed 670G system is planned to begin shipping in the spring of next year. Hooman Hakami, executive vice president at Medtronic Diabetes said: “Given the earlier-than-anticipated approval and the novel nature of the technology, we plan to begin shipping the MiniMed 670G system in spring of 2017. This timeline ensures market and manufacturing readiness, payer coverage, and appropriate training of our employees, clinicians, educators, and customers on the new system.”