The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the first automated insulin delivery system — a so-called “artificial pancreas” — for people with type 1 diabetes. “This first-of-its-kind technology can provide people with type 1 diabetes greater freedom to live their lives without having to consistently and manually monitor baseline glucose levels and administer insulin,” Dr. Jeffrey Shuren,
director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in an agency news release. The device — Medtronic’s MiniMed 670G — is what’s known as a hybrid closed-loop system. That means it monitors blood sugar and then delivers necessary background (also known as basal) insulin doses. The device will also shut off when blood sugar levels drop too low. READ MORE
