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August 30, 2006

Research: Monitoring

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Question from Attala, Alabama, USA:

Is it possible to have an internal blood sugar monitor that will monitor blood sugars continuously and release insulin as needed?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

You are describing an internal closed loop insulin pump, a device that does not yet exist.

One company, Medtronic MiniMed, has an experimental implanted insulin pump. The device is rather large and only delivers insulin.

Several companies have experimental, implanted glucose sensors. All are investigational devices.

Several companies are working on combining continuous sensors, whether external or internal, with insulin pumps. That work is very much experimental.

JSH