Nearly 100 years ago two Canadian researchers discovered the hormone insulin while studying dogs, and modern medicine has taken that discovery and harnessed its power to help care for diabetic patients whose bodies can’t produce enough of the hormone. Diabetes testing and self-management has come a long way over the past few decades, but a new breakthrough may revolutionize the way we manage diabetes in the future.
Medtronic Artificial Pancreas
Medtronic Plc has filed for U.S. approval for the first artificial pancreas that will simplify the way we track and manage diabetes in America. Although it’s being called an “artificial pancreas,” the device isn’t inserted in your body in place of your pancreas; it’s actually much simpler. The smartphone-sized device sits outside the body and connects wirelessly to an insulin pump and glucose monitor. The device measures blood sugar every five minutes and automatically administers micro-doses of insulin to ensure the patient stays in their target range.
“Patients are working 24 hours a day now,” said Richard Bergenstal, executive director of Park Nicollet’s International Diabetes Center in Minneapolis, who led the clinical trial. “We want them to get control without spending every hour of the day worrying about their diabetes or preparing for the next event.”
Artificial Pancreas and Diabetes Treatment
According to Bergenstal, the technology could be a gamechanger because many diabetics do a poor job of keeping their glucose levels in the correct range. Less than 30 percent of adults with Type 1 diabetes meet the standards for blood sugar control. Younger patients do even worse, as studies show that 75 percent of teenagers fail to meet their glucose targets, putting them at an elevated risk for complications like infections, organ damage and heart disease.
Medtronic eventually put their product to the test by recruiting 124 patients to use the artificial pancreas on a trial basis. Patients used the devices for six months, and there were no reported malfunctions, hospitalizations or issues with patients ending up with extremely high or low glucose levels. At the beginning of the study, patients had an average A1C test of 7.4, above the target of 7 or less, but at the end of the trial, the average was 6.9.
Les Hazelton of Minnetonka was one of the first people to sign up for the artificial pancreas trial. Hazelton said he was always “chasing” his blood sugar with insulin rather than get out in front of it, so the prospect of a self-regulating device piqued his interest. He was thrilled with the results.
“It was totally mind-blowing,” said Hazelton. “I like being in better control of my body and my disease. The more I know about what’s happening right now, the better I can manage it.”
The device doesn’t take care of everything, however. Patients must recalibrate the device every 12 hours, the glucose sensor must be changed every seven days, and the insulin pump must be refilled every three days. The FDA is expected to rule on the device within the year.
