Debiotech and STMicroelectronics has introduced the first evaluation prototypes of a unique miniaturised insulin-delivery pump.

The tiny device can be mounted on a disposable skin patch to provide continuous insulin infusion, enabling substantial advancements in the availability, treatment efficiency and the quality of life of diabetes patients. The breakthrough Nanopump, which relies on microfluidic MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) technology, has successfully passed initial testing stages and is now ready to enter volume manufacturing.

The pump combines Debiotech’s expertise in insulin delivery systems with ST’s strengths in manufacturing high-volume silicon-based microfluidic devices. It is less than one fourth the size of existing insulin-pump devices and can be worn as a nearly invisible patch on the skin.

Microfluidic technology also provides better control of the administered insulin doses, more closely mimicking the natural secretion of insulin from the pancreas, while detecting potential malfunctions of the pump to further protect patients.

As a disposable device, manufactured using high-volume semiconductor processing technologies, the MEMS-based Nanopump is also more affordable, allowing the patient or the health system to avoid the substantial up-front investment typically associated with current pump solutions.

Insulin pump therapy, or Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (CSII), is an increasingly attractive alternative to individual insulin injections that must be administered several times a day. With CSII, the patient is connected to a programmable pump including a storage reservoir, from which insulin is infused into the tissue under the skin throughout the day according to specific needs as programmed by the patient.

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