Being diabetic can be cumbersome when it comes to managing your insulin intake, and ensuring you are taking the correct dosage to keep your blood sugars at healthy levels.
There are over 37.3 million Americans that have diabetes and have to keep track of this type of information on a daily basis. That’s 1 in 10 Americans. The CDC estimates that 1 in 5 people in America are living with diabetes and completely unaware.
Fortunately we live in a new era, where we can rely on technology to help keep track of blood sugar levels much easier, with items such as continuous glucose monitors (CGM’s), Bluetooth enabled insulin pens, and insulin pumps.
Using Smartphones to Assist with Insulin Delivery
Earlier this year, the FDA made big headway, by approving a new insulin delivery application for smartphones, which will allow users to actually initiate the insulin delivery process from their insulin pump! For those of you that aren’t familiar with these devices, insulin pumps are small devices connected to the belly of a diabetic person that delivers a specified insulin amount into the body to regulate blood sugar levels before a meal, breaking down the sugars in the body for energy.
The approved app was developed by the Tandem Diabetes Care team, allowing users to schedule or cancel insulin injections for specific times throughout the day.
Currently, the app works on select iPhones and Androids, and it is presumed that the software will continue to update to work with more phones as time progressives.
This app is specifically designed for bolus insulin injections – the fast acting version of insulin that users take right before food consumption in order to regulate blood sugar after eating as mentioned before. For those that didn’t know, there are two types of insulin, long lasting that maintain the baseline of sugar levels throughout the day, and fast acting, which is used during meals.
Unfortunately, the app only works on the iPhone 12 with iOS 14 software, or a Samsung Galaxy S20 with OS 11. Those diabetics that use diabetic apps related to their devices will understand the frustration in having to wait for software updates on newer operating systems. Right now it is only approved for individuals aged 6 and up.
Using Apps to Help Track Glucose Levels
Even though there are several apps that can assist diabetics track their glucose levels, keep track of health information, and even set testing reminders, Tandem states that their app is the first-ever that allows humans to remotely activate their insulin pump for specific times.
John Sheridan, president and CEO of Tandem Diabetes Care, wrote, “With the improvements in diabetes management provided by Tandem’s Control-IQ technology, giving a meal bolus is now the most common reason a person interacts with their pump, and the ability to do so using a smartphone app offers a convenient and discrete solution.”
When we state that there’s an app for almost anything, there really is. Especially with the assistance of Bluetooth technology. As a diabetic myself, I rely on Dexcom’s G6 CGM, which is a Bluetooth device that measures your blood sugar levels at all times, and reads the data into your smartphone. This would be another great app to regulate my sugar levels.
This certainly is an innovation for the health industry, as it is the first FDA approved app for insulin injection.
Tandem Diabetes Care’s t:connect mobile app, will pair specifically with the company’s t:slim X2 insulin pump .
“This FDA clearance further validates our commitment to innovation and the diabetes community by providing one of the most requested feature enhancements,” said John Sheridan, president and CEO of Tandem Diabetes Carein a statement.
The FDA last year authorized the Omnipod 5, an automated insulin delivery system with a smartphone app. Unlike Tandem’s app, users cannot schedule insulin injections through Omnipod; instead, the app consistently monitors users’ blood glucose levels and automatically makes adjustments throughout the day.
The Future of Smartphone Use for Insulin Delivery
Tandem plans to roll out the new feature on their app this spring in a series of limited launches for pre-selected participants, with a larger launch planned for later in the summer.
The new app feature will be available free-of-charge to current users and in-warranty customers for Tandem’s t:slim X2 insulin pump. It will also display the previous 24-hour data for an individual’s glucose levels, insulin injections, pump status changes and more.
App users will also still be able to access their health data directly from the pump, as the app and the pump can be used independently from one another.
The app will make a huge impact for many of the 34 million-plus Americans currently living with diabetes, as Tandem aims to decrease the amount of time that users have to interact with their pump. Please share with someone who you know that might benefit from this new advancement.
This is great information thank you sir
You are very welcome! I hope you will share with others that can benefit from this information!