Patch Pumps

Insulet and Johnson & Johnson announced an agreement to incorporate the OneTouch technology into the Omnipod's remote controller. The next Omnipod will have a built in blood glucose meter in the PDM, allowing you to carry one less device. Insulet already has a deal with Abbott Diabetes Care to include their Freestyle technology in their new PDM but the deal isn't exclusive. Upon release, Insulet could decide to have a separate device for each blood glucose meter technology or switch to Lifescan exclusively after the Abbott deal expires in 2013.

The SOLO MicroPump Insulin Delivery System is a patch pump originally made by Medingo and purchased by Roche in 2010. Solo received FDA approval in 2009 and is expected to be available in 2012. The system has 4 parts: a micropump composed of reusable electronics plus an insulin reservoir, a remote, and a cradle.

The Debiotech JewelPump is a disposable patch pump with some similarities to the current Omnipod, as well as other patch pumps on the horizon. Debiotech, a Swiss company, teamed with ST Microelectronics to create this sleek pump system. Like most patch pumps, a separate controller is required to deliver bolus insulin doses. It use a microelectromechanical (MEMS) pumping system, that allows the pump to be kept small and light.

The Cellnovo semi-patch pump (patch pump with a nearby infusion site) got a lot of attention in 2009 when it was first announced because of it's small size and iPhone like handset. Cellnovo, a London based company, has now joined forces with Osaka, Japan based Nipro Diagnostics, a blood glucose meter company, for integration of a meter into the Cell-Novo controller for the pod.

The V-Go is a simple-to-use, once-daily, disposable insulin delivery device that provides a preset basal rate and on-demand bolus dosing. The V-Go allows you to conveniently and discreetly deliver insulin. The h-Patch technology is also being developed to serve as a launching platform for applications across a wide spectrum of medical needs. The original h-Patch product (BIDS) received 510(k) clearance in 2005 and based on improvements to this technology and its filling device, a new 510(k) for the V-Go and its Filling device was submitted and is currently under review by the FDA.

Patch pump technology has been on the verge of breaking through for several years and now it may actually happen. Patch pumps are becoming popular because they avoid the tethered approach of current pumps. Instead of having your pump connected to your body via an infusion set and tubing, the patch pump is worn directly on the body, discreetly attached at the infusion site and wirelessly controlled with a separate device.

Insulet Corporation is a privately-held company that has been in business since 2000. With the advice of diabetes patients, educators, and physicians, Insulet Corporation has developed a new solution to assist in diabetics efforts to live a healthier life. The OmniPod™ Insulin Management System has been specifically designed to make living with diabetes easier than ever by bringing together the proven healthcare benefits of continuous subcutaneous insulin delivery with FreeStyle® blood glucose monitoring technology in a safe, convenient, and discreet two-part system.