Medtronic unveils world-first infusion set for diabetes

MedTech News: Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology, launched the Medtronic Extended infusion set, the first and only diabetes infusion set that can be worn for up to 7 days.

This innovation doubles the length of time an infusion set can be worn so users can safely stay on insulin pump therapy with fewer interruptions and insertions while introducing enhanced convenience and comfort to their diabetes management routine.

“It is currently recommended that insulin infusion sets be changed every three days,” said Bruce Buckingham, M.D., Emeritus Professor of paediatrics and Endocrinology at Stanford.

“The new extended wear infusion set decreased the number of times an infusion set needed to be changed by 50% and the number of infusion set failures associated with high glucose levels was low. Participants in the study commented on the new infusion set being more comfortable to wear compared to their previous infusion sets and were happy with the extended wear feature. Overall, they saw this as a meaningful improvement that reduced the overall burden of insulin pump therapy.”

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The innovative design of the Medtronic Extended infusion set leverages advanced materials that help reduce insulin preservative loss and maintains insulin flow and stability. The new tubing connector improves physical and chemical stability of insulin, reliability of infusion site performance, and reduces the risk of infusion set occlusion. The adhesive patch has an adhesive layer that extends wear time and provides comfort and durability for up to 7 days. In addition to the new infusion set, the Medtronic Extended reservoir is also tested and approved to keep insulin stable and safely used for up to 7 days.

“Our goal with this latest innovation is to make insulin pump therapy easier for people living with diabetes,” said Julie Foster, Vice President of Customer Experience for the Medtronic Diabetes Business.

“The Medtronic Extended infusion set introduces increased simplicity and convenience — something we’re looking to deliver across all of our products and services to help ease burden and enhance the experience for people wherever they are in their diabetes journey.”

The Medtronic Extended infusion set is compatible with all MiniMed 600 and 700 series insulin pumps and was developed in partnership with ConvaTec’s Unomedical subsidiary, the world’s largest producer of infusion sets.

The infusion set is currently in investigational use only in the U.S. and is not approved for sale or distribution. The select European countries in which Medtronic Extended is now for sale include Finland and Belgium, to start. Others are expected to follow in a phased approach over the course of 2021.