Insulin Nation strives to keep you up to date on the latest news on diabetes gear. Here’s what we’ve found recently that’s noteworthy:
The Quest for Less Ouch
Novo Nordisk announced that it has come out with its shortest needle yet, the cutely named NovoFine Plus (definitely not pictured here). The 4-millimeter needle is designed to cut the risk of intramuscular injections and reduce the amount of force required to inject insulin. If you want to try it right now, however, you’re going to have to go to Canada, the only country that’s greenlighted the needle so far. Novo Nordisk hopes the needle will soon be available in more countries.
Whatever it is, it Sounds Cool!
Telcare has unveiled a prototype of something it’s billing as a “Total Diabetes Management” solution, but it’s a bit unclear what it is. The title of the press release labels the device an “artificial pancreas platform”, but the first paragraph says it includes a “monitored, assisted pancreas platform”. However it’s billed, it looks to be very Bluetooth, with a wireless-connected medication dispenser and wireless-connected syringe sensor. One gets the feeling that the details are being left a bit vague to keep the competition in the dark.
Down with Pen and Paper!
Asante, the makers of the Snap pump, have announced they are moving ahead with a venture to make their diabetes data more accessible. They’ve unveiled a partnership with Tidepool, a diabetes tech non-profit, to make Snap pump info available for users’ laptops, phones, and tablets. Often, pump or CGM manufacturers try to get customers to buy proprietary software to make health data available across multiple platforms.
Better than Soup Cans and String
Medgadget is reporting that Taiwan-based Health2Sync is developing hardware and an app to connect continuous glucose monitors with iOS devices. From the picture on the article, it looks as though the approach is cord-based, rather than Bluetooth-based. The company is seeking out crowdsourcing investment through Indiegogo, much like Timesulin is doing for its insulin pen timer-in-a-cap device.
Hey Doc, Look at This…
Lifetouch announced that it has received FDA approval for its OneTouch Verio Sync Blood Glucose Monitoring System, which is the first of its kind approved in the U.S. to wirelessly send BG data to your Apple i-product of choice. With the monitoring system, people with diabetes now will be able to share that information via email or text with their care providers, family, or friends…or be forced to think up excuses why they aren’t doing so.
Next Up, a Diabetes Breath Mint?
According to ComputerWorld, Japanese tech giant Toshiba is developing a new kind of breathalyzer that it hopes will one day be used to detect a host of ailments, including diabetes. The brains at Toshiba used gas-detecting technology for superconductors to pick up trace gases in human breath, including acetone, a marker for diabetes. The hope is that such a device would cut down on the time needed for a diagnosis. The current plan is to have this breathalyzer ready for 2015.
Now Available For Kids!
The FDA has given its blessing for the Dexcom G4 Platinum continuing glucose monitoring system to be used for patients ages 2 to 17 years of age. Before, only adults could use this CGM. Now, the teens who use it can show their parents how it works, just like with every other piece of technology.
That’s a Good Thing, Right?
A new FDA report says federal regulators have upped their game when it comes to medical device recalls. According to the report, the FDA almost doubled its number of device recalls annually from 604 in 2003 to 1,190 in 2012. It also trumpeted the fact that recalls happen a lot quicker than before; Class I recalls happen 9 days quicker than in 2003, while Class II recalls happen 26 days quicker. Don’t worry, rather than being a sign of increasingly poor workmanship, the FDA says the increased recalls merely show that medical device manufacturers are a lot more responsive to problems than in the past.
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