FDA Approves World’s First Combo Insulin Pump And Glucose Monitor For Diabetes; Device Alerts Users When Glucose Gets Too High Or Low
For people with insulin-dependent diabetes, trying to control their blood glucose, or blood sugar, can be a stressful juggling act. Managing the disease often requires several daily insulin injections, taking up to 10 blood samples a day, coordinating the use of multiple medical devices and being mindful of how diet, exercise and medication can affect blood-sugar levels.
Medtronic’s Paradigm REAL-Time System incorporates a glucose sensor, a transmitter, a “smart” insulin pump and a glucose meter to provide patients with better control, flexibility and health.
Chris Jarvis, a member of the 2004 Canadian Olympic Rowing Team and a marathon runner, knows firsthand about the challenges associated with diabetes. He has type 1 diabetes, which means his body doesn’t produce insulin on its own. Some days, during races, Jarvis used to take up to 15 fingerstick measurements to check his blood sugar. For many years, he used two separate devices to control his diabetes, one to monitor his glucose and another...