The Disposable Insulin Jewel Pump from Debiotech and STMicroelectronics is the most advanced use of microfluidic MEMS technology in diabetes treatment. The tiny device, for which FDA clearance is now pending, can be mounted on a disposable skin patch to provide continuous insulin infusion, enabling substantial improvements in the treatment efficiency and the quality of life of diabetic patients. 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
