In people who do not have diabetes, the hormone amylin is secreted in the pancreas alongside insulin, and people with diabetes lack both insulin and amylin. Do artificial pancreas systems perform more effectively when pramlintide, a medication that is an analog of amylin, is added to them? Read more
Currently available closed loop insulin delivery systems (sometimes called the “artificial pancreas”) have made insulin dosing much easier for many people with diabetes. However, they still require users to monitor data and take various daily actions. One innovator is looking to develop a fully automated system that would not require any manual tasks, such as […]
An artificial pancreas, also known as a closed-loop system of insulin delivery or an automated insulin delivery system, could potentially improve outcomes and quality of life in children with type 1 diabetes. Currently, less than 20% of children with type 1 diabetes attain the target glycated hemoglobin level of less than 7% that is recommended […]
A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that an artificial pancreas system, using a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device and a separate insulin pump, was safe and beneficial in children with type 1 diabetes who were as young as six years of age. Read more
Do-it-yourself artificial pancreas systems (DIYAPS) were developed by members of the diabetes community to offer a solution to type 1 diabetes patients who can’t access or afford other tech systems. Read more
Betalin Therapeutics says that it will submit a request next month for human clinical trials in the UK for its tiny micro-pancreas that can “cure” diabetes for millions of people and eliminate the need for insulin injections. The device is designed for people with type 1 diabetes, and those with type 2 diabetes who require […]
The Tandem t:slim X2 insulin pump will not only discontinue the delivery of insulin if blood sugars detected by a CGM record low blood sugars, but will also calculate the amount of insulin needed and inject that insulin when needed for elevated blood sugars. Read more
A new study looked at a particular type of artificial pancreas, or closed-loop control, called the Control-IQ system — a new type of artificial pancreas that uses algorithms to adjust insulin doses automatically throughout the day. When the monitor detects that a person needs insulin, a pump releases it into the body. Read more
The Omnipod Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery System is a hybrid closed-loop (HCL) system: it combines the technology of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and insulin pumps, and a personalized control algorithm to deliver insulin as needed, day and night. Research showed it helped patients stay in their target glucose range. Read more
The “artificial pancreas” (an automated insulin delivery system) performed better in controlling blood sugar levels in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes compared than manual insulin delivery, a new study says. These devices have been used sucessfully to treat type 1 diabetes in non-hospitalized patients. The researchers believe their future use in hospital settings may […]
A new study shows that a small time difference may have a big impact on testing for type 2 diabetes. Testing blood glucose levels one hour after a meal, instead of 2 hours after, can provide a better prediction. The researchers say that the one-hour test is more sensitive than the traditional two-hour post meal […]
A new analysis of past research finds erectile dysfunction (ED) affects 53 percent of men with diabetes. The study looked at data for nearly 90,000 men and found that those with diabetes are three and a half times more likely than men without the disease to experience ED. In addition to the sexual issue itself, ED can be a […]
An islet cell transplant, performed at the University of Miami’s Diabetes Research Institute, is proving successful one year later. The islet cells, which produce insulin, were transplanted into a woman whose type 1 diabetes had been difficult for her to manage. Ideally, this research will help identify a suitable location within the body in which […]
In September, the FDA approved the first hybrid closed-loop system for automating insulin delivery to reduce both highs and lows: Medtronic’s MiniMed 670G system including the latest Guardian Sensor 3 CGM. The milestone approval came after an unexpectedly fast three-month FDA review, and just four months after Medtronic reported positive data from its three-month home […]
There has been some pushback against labeling the Medtronic 670G an “artificial pancreas”. Even Jeffrey Brewer, the current president and CEO of Bigfoot Biomedical and the former president and CEO of JDRF, has soured on the term. In an October 6th, 2016 Facebook post, he wrote why Bigfoot Biomedical won’t be calling their coming automated […]
There has been vocal criticism among some in the Type 1 diabetes community that the 670G is not automated enough to be considered an artificial pancreas. For example, users of the pump system will still have to bolus for meals. Dr. Kowalski said that there is still more work to be done on developing the […]
Last week, the FDA announced approval of the Medtronic 670G, which is considered by some to be the first pump system worthy of the label of artificial pancreas. However, the 670G still requires a fair amount of user input, and there are other artificial pancreas pump systems in clinical trials that may offer the promise […]
No sooner did news break that the FDA had approved the Medtronic 670G did debate start over whether it deserved to be labeled an artificial pancreas. I wanted to provide my thoughts on why as the editorial director of a diabetes news publication, I felt comfortable using the term for this hybrid automated pump-and-CGM system.
The device — Medtronic’s MiniMed 670G — is what’s known as a hybrid closed-loop system. That means it monitors blood sugar and then delivers necessary background (also known as basal) insulin doses. The device will also shut off when blood sugar levels drop too low.
The Bigfoot system, built upon Asante technology, has three components – the pump body, the Dexcom G5 CGM and a controller. The body is a single-use, disposable piece that contains a battery and a 3-mililiter cartridge of Humalog. The Dexcom G5 sends glucose readings to the controller, which is the brains of the operation. The […]