Written by Amy Tenderich
ADA Device Report: New 'Jewel Pump' is Best in Show
I have lots of news from the the huge expo floor of this year's American Diabetes Association annual conference this week. To start off, one of the most impressive new devices I saw was indeed the new Jewel Pump from Debiotech out of Lausanne, Switzerland. My friend and colleague Dr. Rich Jackson of the Joslin Diabetes Center even went so far as to call it "best in show."
{photo does not do it justice}
This smooth, oval-shaped disposal patch pump appears to be the next evolution of the company's original micropump utilizing futuristic microfluidic MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) technology to put all of the systems "brains" on a tiny chip. But who cares what's inside, right? As long as the product delivers. So why is this pump system looking like a real breakthrough?
- the "pod" portion is incredibly flat, smooth and comfortable-looking. It can carry up to 400 units of insulin (double the capacity of OmniPod) housed inside the incredibly flat, smooth, oval insulin reservoir that comprises a whole "layer" of the pump.
- there is no separate controller unit! Rather, you will control this pump via a smartphone application that runs on Android. You can use it on any Android-enabled cell phone. This is the tricky part for FDA approval, of course, but the company has already filed its 510K application, and seems optimistic. To ensure user safety, they've designed the "controller app" such that it disables the regular functions of your phone while you are bolusing or making other pump adjustments. In other words, when you're in "pump mode" on the phone, you cannot send or receive calls or emails - not until you explicitly exit pump mode. You also need a secret PIN code to access "pump mode" - a further safety measure to make sure that no one else picks up your phone and starts fiddling with insulin delivery.
- it has all the advanced features of the pumps we know and love, including bolus wizard and correction wizard, with adjustments for IOB (insulin on board), plus there are side buttons right on the pump for quick & easy bolusing without the controller, if desired. (Similar to that of Medingo's new Solo pump, the Jewel's closest would-be rival)
- the Jewel is easily detachable, so you can comfortably bathe or soak in a hot tub and then reconnect without losing your insulin and current "pod." Like the the Solo, the Jewel has a flat cradle with the cannula that stays on your body for easy reconnection. This separation of parts also allows you to change your infusion site without dumping the current pod and insulin in use; you just pop it into the new cradle.
- They use the same exact adhesive material as the OmniPod, so least likely to irritate the skin, and the Jewel adhesive protrudes a bit in the front around the cannula area to offer a little extra reinforcement to keep the cannula in place (something I have for a long time wished the OmniPod had)
- again, it's VERY flat, light and attractive, and comes in a half-dozen different vibrant colors, including black, blue and orange.
Some views of the pump's Android interface:
The Jewel pump is already in mass production in Italy and could be ready for market in the US by mid-2011, the company tells me. They have a setup that allows them to create up to 10,000 units at a time. Pretty impressive. But how do they plan to sell at that volume in the US? Not on their own, they say. Debiotech's main goal in exhibiting at ADA was to shop for "partner companies" that may be interested in licensing and selling the products in the States, they said. Or possible acquisition? They couldn't comment. I just really want one. To me this looks like the future of pumping - small, slick, wireless yet high-volume, and controlled by your very own SmartPhone.
Also on display:
- Medingo's Solo Patch pump, recently acquired by Roche Diabetes, which had the misfortune to be stationed in the booth right next door to the Jewel. I've previewed the Solo model several times before. Funny, Solo is FDA approved and even got pediatric clearance in January, but the system's not slated to hit the market until 2012. The newest iteration of the PDM is looking nicer; it has these colorful bar graphs to help you visualize your basal settings for example, which I really like. But there are some weaknesses that could hurt the Solo's chances of success if its competitors are on the ball:
Solo is bigger and less 'sexy' than the Jewel; it doesn't yet have an integrated glucose meter like OmniPod does, although Roche is feverishly working on remedying that. There is currently no software associated with the system, so you can't download any records from it. Roche of course has plans to integrate it with their SmartPix and Accu-Chek 360 software asap. (There's a mini-USB port at the waiting on the Solo).
The one advantage I saw in the Solo is that Medingo's developing two different cannula lengths for the system - 6mm and 9mm - at different angles, to help users get better absorption and fewer accidental disconnects. Solo also offers seven different color options, in the form of exchangeable front plates. So you can accessorize.
The highly miniaturized disposable insulin pump combines Debiotech's expertise in insulin delivery systems with ST's strengths in manufacturing high-volume silicon-based microfluidic devices. The Jewel Pump is smaller, thinner and lighter than currently available insulin pumps and can be worn as a nearly invisible patch on the skin, while providing 4.5 milliliters of insulin, suitable for a 6-day treatment. Microfluidic technology also provides better control of the administered insulin doses, more closely imitating 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 Jewel Pump is also much more affordable, allowing the patient or the healthcare system to avoid the substantial up-front investment typically associated with current pump solutions.
Correction : The total volume insuline on board the JewelPUMP is 4.5mL (or 450 Units of insulin), for a total use of up to 6 days.
Press Contacts:
Laurent-Dominique Piveteau
Business Development Manager
Debiotech
Phone: +41-21-623-60-00
Fax: +41-21-623-60-01
email:
Learn more :JewelPUMP™>>
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