US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that technology can ease the burden associated with managing diabetes. Devices such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors help to keep sugar levels in the blood within safe ranges.
Insulin pumps are devices that release a steady flow of this hormone, even when sleeping. The pump is about the size of a pager and is worn outside the body. It is connected to a tube that carries insulin from the pump to another tube inserted just under the skin. This tube has to be changed every few days.
FDA has approved several of these insulin pumps, including one that is wireless and tubing-free. This device, called patch pump, has been created specifically for patients with type 2 diabetes. It holds insulin in a pod that is worn on the body with a tiny tube inserted underneath the skin every few days. According to the manufacturers, insulin delivery is controlled by a handheld device.
Another device that helps with blood sugar management is a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). According to the FDA, it has sensors that check your glucose (blood sugar) levels every five minutes. The readings are sent wirelessly to a receiver. You still need to manually check your blood sugar periodically, but CGMs help to show whether blood sugar is rising, falling or staying the same.
There are also CGM-enabled insulin pumps that communicate wirelessly with a CGM. The sensor readings are displayed on the insulin pump screen instead of on a separate receiver, which means patients have to carry one less piece of equipment, the FDA said.
“These devices are an important technological advance to address some of the challenges people with diabetes face in managing their blood sugar,” Alberto Gutierrez, director of FDA’s Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health, said in an agency news release.
“As they become better integrated with insulin pumps, CGMs can ease the daily burden of people with diabetes who juggle the use of multiple medical devices,” he added.
Scientists are also working on artificial pancreas device systems, which combine a CGM and an insulin pump with a sophisticated computer program that predicts blood sugar levels and insulin needs. These systems monitor blood sugar levels and automatically pump appropriate doses of insulin when needed, according to the FDA.
Through: MedilinePlus
