Insulin Pump

An insulin pump is a wearable medical device for the administration of insulin. The classical version consisted of a needle inserted into the subcutaneous tissue, a housing containing a disposable reservoir for insulin, electronics, pump and batteries, and a disposable catheter connecting these two parts. Patch pumps that are worn directly on the skin and do not require a manually inserted needle or visible catheter are a more recent development. Internally, these patch pumps still employ a catheter with a length of about 50 mm, substantially less than the 600 mm of tubing found with the classical version.

Using an insulin pump provides the patient with a continuous infusion of rapidly acting insulin, covering the individual insulin needs between meals and at night. Additionally, an insulin bolus can by administered manually to cover meals or to correct for high blood glucose values.

Various types of insulin pump have been developed. One differentiation is whether there is a pre-defined basal insulin infusion rate or a programmable infusion rate. Programmability allows different basal patterns throughout the day and the option of different patterns for working days and weekends.

Many insulin pumps contain a bolus calculator to assist with the pre-meal insulin dosing. Based on the current blood glucose, the intended glucose range, the carbohydrate-to-insulin ratio, the grams of carbohydrate in the meal and the insulin sensitivity factor, the bolus calculator calculates the insulin bolus for a given patient in a given situation, helping to keep the blood glucose value within the intended range.

At Profil, there are two lines of insulin pump research. We perform insulin pump clinical studies into pump compatibility and advantages of new insulins. We also study insulin pumps that receive information about the actual sensor glucose values of the patient. This so-called artificial pancreas uses an algorithm to calculate the amount of insulin that has to be administered by the pump to keep the blood glucose in the target range.

Thanks to our experience in this area of research, Profil is the ideal partner for your insulin pump development projects and for clinical trials with new insulin formulations in combination with a variety of insulin pumps.