Modern science is making every effort to make life easier for diabetics. If a few years ago every patient had to carry a syringe with him, now a device has already been developed that greatly simplifies the procedure for administering the hormone. Modern devices called insulin pumps are aimed at improving people's lives, moreover, they allow you to constantly monitor blood sugar and prevent the development of complications associated with the disease.
Purpose of the device
Modern devices are significantly different from those that were at the dawn of automated insulin pumps. Although the principle of their work remained the same. The insulin pump is designed to replace the insulin pens that are the constant companion of people suffering from diabetes. Before the advent and distribution of this device, patients were forced to inject themselves with insulin several times a day to maintain life. And the devices can be programmed by specifying the mode of insulin supply and the required dosage. Moreover, independing on daily activity, you can set several options for the intake of the hormone, choosing the dosage for individual needs.
Constant use of the pump allows you to lead a normal life. The device, according to the programmed values, will introduce the required dose of the hormone itself. Eating also does not cause any inconvenience, just press a special button on the device, and an additional amount of insulin will be injected under the skin.
Pump structure
Regardless of the manufacturer and the price of the device, all devices are similar. They consist of the following components:
- directly insulin pump, which includes a mechanism for managing and processing information, batteries;
- insulin container inside the machine;
- replaceable set, it consists of a system of connecting tubes and a cannula through which the hormone is injected subcutaneously.
Disadvantages of intensive care
The action of the pump is aimed at replacing the pancreas as much as possible. Previously, with intensive therapy, a person needed multiple injections of insulin, which tried to imitate the body's natural mode of operation. In this case, the patient was injected with two types of hormone: ultrashort and prolonged action. Type 2 insulin injections had to be given twice a day (usually morning and evening). But the first type of this hormone was introduced when the need for it in the body increased, for example, whenfood intake. Additional injections of ultra-rapid insulin are called a bolus. So, every day a patient with diabetes needs to do 2 injections of a long-acting hormone and at least 3 short ones. But even such a regimen is not able to imitate the work of the pancreas, so patients are constantly faced with night hypoglycemia and with an increase in sugar in the morning.
Device mechanism
Automated hormone administration helps to get rid of a lot of related problems. The insulin pump is designed to administer ultra-short insulin in small doses, which mimics the natural functioning of the body as much as possible. At the same time, the volumes and frequency of administration are selected strictly individually, depending on the needs of each individual person. That is, the body receives as much hormone as it needs at that particular moment. This is what an insulin pump is for. Testimonials from diabetic patients report that their lives have improved since using this device.
The principle of operation of the device is as follows. The pump itself contains a reservoir of insulin. With the help of tubes, it is connected to a cannula (plastic needle), which is inserted into the subcutaneous fat in the abdomen. A special piston at a set speed presses on the bottom of the container, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of the hormone. But, in addition, each insulin pump provides the possibility of a bolus of insulin, which is needed during a meal. To do this, just press a special button.
Consumables
Automated insulin injection device can make life easier for diabetics. But at the same time, one should not forget that its use is associated with a number of problems. The most important of them is the need to constantly purchase consumables for an insulin pump. These include:
- reservoir containing insulin;
- cannula inserted under the skin;
- catheter connecting machine and needle.
If the device is equipped with an additional glucose control function, then the replacement materials also include a sensor that determines the concentration of sugar.
Indications for pump use
Removing multiple insulin injections from everyday life is the dream of every diabetic. Currently, almost every patient can purchase an insulin pump. Feedback from many people who use these devices indicates that they do not mind the money spent.
So, it is better to buy a pump for people who go in for sports, lead a fairly active lifestyle, and for those who want to hide their illness from others. Also, such insulin therapy is preferable for children and adolescents, for women who plan to become a mother, and for those people who develop complications of diabetes. You can also talk about the mandatory use of the pump in cases where there is frequent hypoglycemia, and the morning syndrome with sharp jumps in sugar levels is pronounced.
Cons of using the device
Before you decide to buy this expensive device, you must take into account that it also has a number of disadvantages and contraindications for use. So, the main disadvantage is the price of pumps and consumables for them. The operation of the device costs patients 6-7 thousand per month. If a diabetic decides to purchase a device that independently monitors glucose levels, then the cost of its monthly use will increase by 2-3 times.
But even if the patient can afford an insulin pump, one should not forget about a number of contraindications. These include a clear drop in visual acuity, up to blindness, a decrease in the intellectual level and existing allergic or inflammatory processes localized in the abdomen.
Pumps for kids
Unfortunately, often type 1 diabetes begins to manifest itself in childhood. To make life easier for the baby, parents decide to replace the constant insulin injections with a pump. But when choosing this device for a child, it is necessary to take into account a number of features. So, before buying, you need to pay attention to the speed with which insulin is supplied. If the child has a small daily dose, then it is better to pay attention to devices that can supply 0.025 or 0.05 units of the hormone every hour. For teenagers with high insulin requirements, it is better to choose devices with a large reservoir. It's also important that your pump has an alarm that sounds when you miss a bolus with a meal.
For example,Medtronic has developed the Veo insulin pump for children. Compact size, ease of use, constant monitoring of glucose levels and signals when it changes allow parents to monitor the condition of their babies. Also, the device will not allow you to miss the next bolus dose when eating, and will notify you about the rate of change in sugar concentration. But no matter what device is purchased, it is necessary to control children of any age. Parents should carefully monitor the condition of the child and do not forget that the cannula is gradually clogged, and insulin ceases to flow in the required volumes. It is also important to keep an eye on the battery level on your pump.
In addition, you need to choose the right consumables. For example, shorter needles are used for children, the length of the catheter is also selected individually.
How the device is used
If you have made up your mind and bought an automated device for insulin administration, then first of all you need to figure out how the purchased insulin pump works. Install it as follows.
- It is necessary to get the reservoir for insulin and remove the plunger.
- The needle is inserted into the ampoule with the hormone, and air from the container for insulin is let into it. This must be done in order to prevent the formation of a vacuum when drawing up the medicine.
- With the help of a piston, the hormone is pumped into the reservoir, after which the needle is removed. Air bubbles formed in the container must be squeezed out.
- The reservoir is attached to the catheter and inserted into the designated area in the pump. After that, it is necessary to drive insulin through the system tube and remove the remaining air. This is done before the catheter is attached to the cannula to avoid excessive insulin entering the body.
- The assembly of the device is completed by connecting the needle to the system.
Besides changing the reservoir, every patient should know how often to change the cannula. This is done at least once every 4 days, regardless of which insulin pump is installed. Medtronic, for example, recommends changing cannulas more frequently because they can become clogged. With them, it is also necessary to change the infusion set: needle and catheter. But the tank can last up to 10 days.
Famous Manufacturers
Currently in Russia there is not a very large selection of devices that provide automated insulin administration. Medtronic and Accu-Chek insulin pumps are freely available on the market. They have representative offices in Russia, so diabetics will have no problems purchasing the necessary consumables.
The cheapest insulin pump "Medtronic" will cost the patient more than 80 thousand rubles. It will allow you to enter the hormone at a minimum rate of 0.05 units. in hour. But this manufacturer also offers more expensive options. They are able to control the concentration of sugar themselves, monitor changes in its level and warn of danger in case of an increase or decrease in its level. In addition, the device itself can remind you ofthe need for a bolus dose of hormone during meals.
Insulin pumps Accu-Chek (Roche) will cost a little less, the most affordable option costs about 60 thousand rubles. This device provides for the use of insulin penfills with a volume of 3 ml, and not a reservoir. It also reduces operating costs. In addition, Roche has released a fully waterproof pump equipped with a 315 unit volume reservoir.
Medtronic developments
The leading American company Medtronic created the Paradigm insulin pump. The developed device allows to bring treatment to a higher level. This is ensured by the fact that the pump always displays real-time glucose data on the screen, it changes every 5 minutes. This became possible after the development of a special sensor that is attached in the same way as a cannula and transmits data to the pump using radio frequency technology.
When the sugar concentration changes, the 722 insulin pump will notify you with a special signal. This avoids hypo- or hyperglycemia by timely adjusting the level of insulin supply accordingly. The main disadvantage is the cost of this device, the price for it is 130 thousand rubles, and the latest option costs almost 200 thousand. Consumables will also cost a lot, because the sensor and the infusion set must be changed after 3-5 days.
