Tidepool and Medtronic Announce Collaboration on Interoperable Automated Insulin Pump
On Friday, June 7, Tidepool and Medtronic announced that they would be working together to create an interoperable automated insulin pump system. The partnership was announced by Tidepool CEO Howard Look at the DiabetesMine D-Data ExChange in San Francisco taking place during the ADA 2019 Scientific Sessions. Medtronic joins Insulet as the second pump manufacturer to partner with Tidepool to create a closed-loop system.
“We think that Medtronic is making a very bold and important move here that shows tremendous courage and is the absolutely right thing for the diabetes community,” said Howard Look, founder and CEO of Tidepool. “Medtronic makes incredibly robust and reliable pump hardware, and they have extensive marketing, sales and support organizations for people with diabetes and for healthcare providers. This network can help bring closed-loop systems to more people living with diabetes.”
Loop is an automated insulin delivery app for iOS that connects to an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor (CGM) using Bluetooth LE. The app runs an algorithm every five minutes to adjust user basal rate for the next 30 minutes, helping reduce or avoid high and low blood glucose, and allowing users to control their pumps from their smart devices. DIY Looping is currently not approved by the FDA, but in October 2018, Tidepool announced plans to deliver an officially supported, FDA-regulated Loop app, available via the App Store.
The partnership will see Medtronic helping fund Tidepool’s efforts, and working with the company to develop software to enable iPhone to pump communication. The MiniMed pump that will run Tidepool Loop has yet to be created, and is importantly not the next-generation MiniMed 780G. The 780G is Medtronic’s next generation closed-loop system following 670G, and is currently enrolling trial participants.
Medtronic will additionally need to seek iCGM (Integrated Continuous Glucose Monitoring) classification for the Guardian™ Sensor 3 and ACE (Alternate Controller Enabled) pump classification for a future Bluetooth-enabled MiniMed pump.
Ali Dianaty, vice president of Research and Development for the Diabetes Group at Medtronic, said, “We have been listening and engaging with the diabetes community to understand what is important to them – we recognize that collaboration with Tidepool is a way to further drive industry innovation. Working with Tidepool and supporting interoperability, we can increase the options available for people with diabetes to manage their condition as they seek out solutions that help them achieve better health and improve quality of life.”
Also on June 7, Tidepool Loop announced Dexcom as an official CGM partner. The news is less surprising, as Dexcom G6 was the first CGM to earn the FDA’s iCGM designation and some are already DIY-Looping with the device.
To read more about what this announcement means for the future of Tidepool and Looping, read the announcements on Tidepool’s blog.
This article is part of Beyond Type 1’s ADA 2019 coverage. For full ADA 2019 coverage, click here.
