Integrated Diabetes Services

Medtronic’s Hybrid Closed Loop System: Getting More Bang For Your Buck By, Gary Scheiner MS, CDE, Jennifer Smith RD, LD, CDE, Alicia Downs RN, MSN, CDE, Annette Valle RN, CDE It’s been about a year and a half since we started using and training/managing patients on the Medtronic 670G “hybrid closed loop” system.  And we’ve learned a lot.  We’ve learned that 670G is beneficial for some, but it clearly isn’t for everybody.  Yes, for the “average” person with diabetes, it can produce improvements in glucose control while helping reduce the risk of dangerous hypoglycemia.  But there are limits to the degree of glucose control that can be achieved, and there are many hassles and extra tasks involved with using the system. There are other hybrid closed loop systems that are already in use, despite not being on the “FDA approved” list of systems. Loop and OpenAPS systems are highly effective for improving glucose control, but they require special equipment and an “app build” to get them up and running. Tandem’s T:Slim with Basal IQ is easy-as-pie to use, but it only turns off basal insulin to help prevent lows. Other systems are coming to market soon:  Tandem’s Control IQ, OmniPod’s Horizon, Tidepool Loop and BigFoot Biomedical’s system are all slated to make automated basal adjustments (similar to Medtronic’s 670G, but with less work on the part of the user), but until the pre-launch studies are completed and the FDA signs off, all we can do is picture them in our daytime fantasies. So for those who want 24-hour automated basal adjustment NOW that is FDA approved, that really leaves just one option:  670G. Medtronic has taking steps to cut down on some of the [...]