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Review
. 2020 Jun;11(6):1251-1269.
doi: 10.1007/s13300-020-00831-z. Epub 2020 May 14.

Evolution of Insulin Delivery Devices: From Syringes, Pens, and Pumps to DIY Artificial Pancreas

Jothydev Kesavadev  1 , Banshi Saboo  2 , Meera B Krishna  3 , Gopika Krishnan  3
Affiliations
Review

Evolution of Insulin Delivery Devices: From Syringes, Pens, and Pumps to DIY Artificial Pancreas

Jothydev Kesavadev et al. Diabetes Ther. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

The year 2021 will mark 100 years since the discovery of insulin. Insulin, the first medication to be discovered for diabetes, is still the safest and most potent glucose-lowering therapy. The major challenge of insulin despite its efficacy has been the occurrence of hypoglycemia, which has resulted in sub-optimal dosages being prescribed in the vast majority of patients. Popular devices used for insulin administration are syringes, pens, and pumps. An artificial pancreas (AP) with a closed-loop delivery system with > 95% time in range is believed to soon become a reality. The development of closed-loop delivery systems has gained momentum with recent advances in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and computer algorithms. This review discusses the evolution of syringes, disposable, durable pens and connected pens, needles, tethered and patch insulin pumps, bionic pancreas, alternate controller-enabled infusion (ACE) pumps, and do-it-yourself artificial pancreas systems (DIY-APS).

Keywords: Artificial pancreas; Diabetes mellitus; Do-it-yourself artificial pancreas; Glycemic targets; Hypoglycemia; Insulin; Insulin delivery devices; Insulin pens; Insulin pumps; Insulin syringes.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Pictorial representation of the major landmark events in the evolution of insulin delivery devices
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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