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. 2019 Jan;13(1):49-54.
doi: 10.1177/1932296818776028. Epub 2018 May 24.

Capabilities of Next-Generation Patch Pump: Improved Precision, Instant Occlusion Detection, and Dual-Hormone Therapy

Forrest W Payne  1 , Bradley Ledden  1 , Greg Lamps  1
Affiliations

Capabilities of Next-Generation Patch Pump: Improved Precision, Instant Occlusion Detection, and Dual-Hormone Therapy

Forrest W Payne et al. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Insulin pumps allow patients to attain better blood glucose control with more lifestyle flexibility. Their size and cost, however, limit their usefulness. Current CSII pumps are bulky, intrusive, and expensive. SFC Fluidics is addressing these problems by developing a new type of wearable patch pump based on the patented electro-chemiosmotic (ECO) microfluidic pumping technology. This nonmechanical pumping technology allows accurate and precise delivery of very small amounts of insulin and/or other drugs, including concentrated insulin. The pump engine is small and can be made inexpensively from injection molded parts, allowing its use in a disposable or semidisposable pod format. In addition, a single ECO pump engine can be used to deliver two drugs through independent pathways. Other features of SFC Fluidics' pod include latching safety valves that prevent accidental overdosing of insulin due to pressure changes and an instantaneous occlusion sensor that can immediately detect delivery failure at the first missed dose. These features allow for the development of a series of patch pumps that will offer users the benefit of CSII therapy in a more discreet and reliable patch pump form.

Keywords: artificial pancreas; automated insulin delivery; concentrated insulin; dual-hormone therapy; insulin patch pump; occlusion detection.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Forrest Payne, Bradley Ledden, and Greg Lamps are all full-time employees of SFC Fluidics, Inc.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
ePump and valves.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Schematic of ECO pump operation.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Rendition of insulin delivery pod. The pod as designed is 51 mm × 55 mm × 13 mm.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
An ECO pump is used to generate 23 atm of pressure in a closed chamber. The pump was operated at 20 mA reaction current to generate the pressure. After a brief rest period, the reactions were reversed at −20 mA to release the pressure.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Shows the efficiency of an ECO pump remains constant at temperatures ranging from 5-55°C while the flow rate increases linearly with temperature.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Trumpet curve for 48-hour basal testing of ECO pump and valves. 48-hour total error is 0%.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Shows the trumpet curves from 48-hour dual hormone AP dosing schedule onto dual IEC 60601-2-24 compliant test setups. The trumpet curves for insulin (black dots) and glucagon (green dashes) were calculated separately.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
Carrier solution for three rapid acting insulin analogs show similar response during pumping of 1U equivalent volume.
Figure 9.
Figure 9.
Graph of sensor response at different flow rates relevant for SFC pod. Signal amplitude is indicative of pumping speed.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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