Nano-doc

DEVICES: A new nano-insulin delivery pump for worry-free treatment for diabetics.

Nanotechnology is quite a gleeful field. It simply reduces the size of molecules or your laptop, your palmtop, your MP3 player and now even your insulin pump.

In what may be a sizeable breakthrough in medical technology (and quite a relief for diabetics), medical device company Debiotech and Switzerland-based STMicroelectronics have entered into a strategic cooperation agreement to manufacture and deliver the award-winning miniaturised insulin-delivery pump.

To be called Nanopump, the device will witness its worldwide launch next year.

A disposable device, the Nanopump takes after the currently available pager-size insulin pump, which, in India, is solely manufactured by Medtronic India.

The Nanopump that relies on microfluid micro-electro-mechanical system technology would be mounted on a disposable skin patch to provide continuous insulin infusion enabling worry-free treatment efficiency for diabetics who otherwise have to rely on their memory for their daily insulin injections or pen pricks.

The insulin pump therapy, also known as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion allows the pump, used in conjunction with a glucose-monitoring device, to continuously infuse rapid-acting insulin into the patient's body.

In fact, the pump can be programmed to infuse insulin either to correct high glucose level or to pump continuously at a pre-set time between meals and at night.

The Nanopump combines Debiotech's expertise in insulin delivery with STMicroelectronics' abilities of manufacturing high-volume silicon-based microfluidic devices. Being hailed as a cutting-edge device for insulin pump users, the Nanopump will enable diabetics to conceal the device under clothing without it hanging from a belt like the insulin pump.

Moreover, the Nanopump makes use of technology that allows control of insulin delivery at the nanolitre level, thus avoiding overdose and detecting underdose and air bubbles.

However, a major concern, especially in India, is the price of the insulin pump "" the primary cause of the device not picking up enough momentum in the Indian market. Costing anything between Rs 1.5-2 lakh, the insulin pump is a huge investment for any patient and comes with a monthly running cost of Rs 5,000-6,000.

Dr R K Prasad, endocrinologist, explains, "Even though the insulin pump is the best available technology at the moment, it is rarely prescribed because of its cost. However, I have seen the Nanopump and it certainly seems to be a much better option owing to its size."

The Nanopump, though an expensive investment, may also turn out to be much more affordable when compared to other insulin pumps since its a disposable device manufactured using high-volume semiconductor processing technologies.