Diabetes: CGM Goes Mainstream
Article preview from Medtech Insight - July/August 2008
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is moving closer to becoming a staple of effective diabetes treatment. The three companies that produce CGM devices - Medtronic, DexCom, and Abbott Laboratories - are very active in demonstrating the value of this technology, but other companies are stepping up in the market. Meanwhile, the focus on CGM is having an effect on other products, including insulin pumps. Find out more...
Article preview from Medtech Insight - July/August 2008
Diabetes: CGM Goes Mainstream
by Robert Neil
Getting a breakthrough medical device from the drawing board into mainstream use is the primary goal of every manufacturer, but a variety of factors play into how quickly a device reaches that goal—if at all. Right now, a perfect example of the process is playing out in the diabetes market, where continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is moving closer to becoming a staple of effective diabetes treatment. The three companies that produce CGM devices—Medtronic Inc., DexCom Inc., and Abbott Laboratories Inc.—are obviously very active in demonstrating the value this technology offers, but now other entities in the market are playing a major role in the process, as independent studies and testing by various clinicians move the use of CGM devices forward. Meanwhile, the focus on CGM is having an effect on other products, including insulin pumps, which, combined with CGM, make up the basic diagram for the long sought after artificial pancreas—or closed-loop system.
Recent CGM Developments
The elevated attention CGM receives in the marketplace comes as a result of the focal role this technology plays in making the artificial pancreas a reality for the numerous clinicians, scientists, and patients waiting for this once improbable system. Unlike conventional monitoring procedures such as fingersticks, which show glucose levels at a specific point-in-time, CGM offers a much broader picture of the highs and lows a patient experiences throughout the day. The technology works by placing a tiny sensor under the patient's skin that measures glucose in the interstitial fluid. A small transmitter attached to the skin with an adhesive backing then sends information to a handheld device that not only shows glucose levels, but can be used for viewing trending information.
Because CGM devices are designed to continuously measure glucose levels, patients receive a better understanding of how eating certain foods, exerting energy, and taking insulin injections affect their bodies. An expanding body of clinical evidence demonstrates that an accurate tracking device that shows when glucose levels are high or low helps patients better control their condition. However, the benefits of CGM do not stop there. Efforts are now underway to integrate CGM devices with insulin injection pumps to create the basis of a closed system, where the CGM transmitter would send a signal to the pump, which would then make appropriate insulin dosage calculations and deliver any necessary injections.
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Companies mentioned in this article:
Abbott Laboratories Inc.
City of Hope National Medical Center
Dexcom Inc.
Insulet Corp.
Johnson & Johnson
LifeScan Inc.
Animas Corp.
Medtronic Inc.
National Institutes of Health
Smiths Medical MD Inc.
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