The United States Food and Drug Administration has granted approval of an artificial pancreas device developed by Medtronic Plc. Their artificial pancreas will be the first device to automatically deliver the correct dosage of insulin to patients with Type 1 diabetes.
The device known as the MiniMed 670G is revolutionary for a number of reasons. Not only will it automatically help diabetics regulate their glucose levels, but it will free them from the need to regularly prick their fingers, check their dosage and manually inject themselves with insulin.
6 Months Ahead of Schedule
The MiniMed 670G offers diabetics “greater freedom to live their lives without having to consistently and manually monitor baseline glucose levels and administer insulin,” said Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA’s medical device division.
The FDA was so impressed with the device that they granted approval six months sooner than expected. However, that doesn’t mean that the device will be ready right away. The MiniMed 670G isn’t expected to be available until spring of 2017.
Facts about the Artificial Pancreas
Here’s some quick facts about the artificial pancreas:
- The device has been approved for patients with Type 1 diabetes over the age of 14.
- The artificial pancreas measures glucose levels every five minutes and delivers insulin to the body as needed.
- Patients can instruct the device when they eat meals or exercise. Both these activities lower glucose levels, so the device can be programmed to adapt to these daily events.
- The insulin sensor is about the size of a quarter and is equipped with a protruding needle that is slipped under the skin. It is also attached to an insulin pump worn on the side of the abdomen that delivers necessary insulin through a catheter.
- More than 1.25 million American children and adults are currently battling Type 1 diabetes, and more than one-third already use insulin pump devices. However, those devices need to be manually regulated throughout the day.
“This device will mean peace of mind, in knowing a person will be in normal blood sugar range a great majority of the time,” said Derek Rupp, chief executive officer of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which has contributed more than $100 to funding and researching artificial pancreas technology. “It is a major news event that a system of this kind has been approved – the first time a pump will administer insulin as a result of information it receives from a sensor.”
The device is expected to cost between $5,000 and $8,000 with additional annual costs of disposable sensors, but a large portion of that price may be covered by insurance carriers. Hopefully the timeline for this device is correct and we can see them him the market in about six month’s time.
