Artificial Pancreas? First Automated Insulin Pump Approved By FDA

Good news for millions of Americans suffering from diabetes: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an automated insulin pump. Apparently, this could make life a lot easier for diabetics particularly those who suffer from type 1 diabetes.

The medical device is Medtronic's MiniMed 670G. According to Gizmodo, it monitors one's sugar levels and injects the required insulin dose automatically. The device is particularly for people over 14 years of age who have type 1 diabetes.

As mentioned earlier, MiniMed 670G makes life a lot easier for sufferers of this illness. Because they are not capable of producing enough insulin, they need to replenish their insulin stock either through daily injections or by using a tiny catheter to pump insulin. The automated insulin pump eliminates the need for those manual techniques. It can track glucose levels from time and again (about every five minutes) and adjust levels of insulin. This leads to users enjoying more freedom.

The device has a sensor attached to the body and measures glucose levels. It likewise includes an insulin pump and a catheter for the delivery of insulin. It is important for users to take note that they need to change the delivery site about twice a week.

Meanwhile, some refer to the device as "artificial pancreas", but as of writing, this is not yet the best description. First off, it is not an internal organ. Also, according to The Wall Street Journal, the device is not fully automated. In each mealtime, users should set their planned carbohydrate intake. They should likewise adjust the sensor two times a day through doing finger-prick tests that measure blood sugar.

Medtronic is a Dublin-based medical tech firm. It says the device will be available in the spring of 2017. In the time being, the firm is planning to do further tests with the aim of making the automated insulin pump suitable for children under 14 years of age.