Did you know that FDA has already approved the use of artificial pancreas? First-of-its-kind, this cell phone-sized device is able to monitor and treat patients battling diabetes 1.
Juvenile Diabetes - Pancreas Unable To Produce Enough Insulin
Type 1 diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes. Individuals suffering from this disease have pancreas that are unable to produce enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone necessary to collect energy from food. For individuals lacking insulin in the body, Medtronic MiniMed 670G system consistently monitors glucose levels and delivers the necessary insulin to patients.
"This is a revolutionary day for the treatment of diabetes. We've been long awaiting the artificial pancreas, and it's exciting to see it," according to Dr. Robert Courgi. Courage is an endocrinologist at Northwell Health's South Side Hospital in Bay Shore, New York.
Medtronic MiniMed 670G requires a prescription and is available for use in patients aged 14 years and older. The Medtronic system comes with a glucose meter serving as an electrode under the skin. It also includes an insulin pump strapped to its body and an infusion patch linked to the pump. The device also has a tiny catheter used that delivers the insulin.
Medtronic MiniMed 670G system gauges the glucose levels every 5 minutes. Depending on the value collected, it either delivers or withholds insulin as needed. This ability enables the patients to maintain bold sugar levels and keep them within the normal range.
Type 1 Diabetes
According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, about five percent of people diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
It is important that individuals with autoimmune disorders do due diligence in monitoring their glucose levels and consequently inject or continuously deliver administer insulin through a pump. The goal is to carefully balance doses of insulin and fit them with their physical and eating routine. Inability to manage insulin levels may cause blood levels to either become too high or too low- either case may lead to coma.
Diabetic patients have long gained access to devices that allows them to monitor blood sugar levels. However, knowing these values require them to take the consequent steps needed to complete treatment. The Medtronic system does not only measure glucose levels but also administer need insulin for them. Courage confirmed, "it certainly makes things much easier."
"It is designed to learn what an individual's insulin needs are and to take action to minimize both high and low glucose levels," added Hooman Hakami, group president of Medtronic Diabetes.
There is minimum requirement from a patient to maintain basal insulin, also known as "background" insulin. Basal insulin refers to the amount of insulin that indicates whether a person has eaten or not. The Medtronic system require patients to adjust their bolus insulin manually.
Bolus insulin are extra amounts of insulin produced by normal pancreas as a response to eating food. Patients with type 1 diabetes take bolus doses of insulin to allow response to the natural spike in blood sugar that happen after eating food.
FDA Concerns On Hypoglycemia
FDA examined results from a clinical trial involving 123 participants prior to approving the Medtronic MiniMed 670G system.
"The fear was life-threatening hypoglycemia (low glucose levels) from the device," Courgi said after hearing a lecture on the artificial pancreas at an endocrinology conference last year. Courgi has no ties to the company that makes the device.
During the study, no cases of sever hypoglycemia or other serious side effects have been noted. The FDA however still requires further study to gain more understanding on the performance of the device once it is made available to the public.
