SUBMITTED ARTICLE
SALINAS — Patients with Type 1 diabetes at the Salinas Valley Medical Clinic Diabetes and Endocrine Center are among the first in the world to have access to a revolutionary new FDA approved device.
The MiniMed 670G was developed by Medtronic and is a hybrid closed loop system. The device is roughly the size of a credit card that a person wears outside the body and continuously monitors glucose levels and delivers insulin 24 hours a day based on the personal needs of the patient. Salinas Valley Medical Clinic is one of just 60 sites in the world chosen for pre-release of this device, and one of five places in California able to offer the MiniMed 670G to its patients. The Diabetes and Endocrine Center received pre-release status due to its expertise in the excellent treatment of diabetes.
“This is a revolutionary device, it will change people’s lives,” says Dana Armstrong, RD, CDE, director of Diabetes Services at Salinas Valley Medical Clinic. “People with Type 1 diabetes who are now using this device no longer have to inject themselves with insulin, the device is doing it for them whenever it senses insulin is needed. It’s making the management of Type 1 diabetes easier.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the MiniMed 670G in September 2016. It is only for treatment of people with Type 1 diabetes 14 years of age and older. Rebecca Bishop, a Type 1 diabetes patient at the Salinas Valley Medical Clinic Diabetes and Endocrine Center is one of a few people in California and throughout the world now using the MiniMed 670 G System. Bishop is 54 years old and was diagnosed with diabetes as a child.
“Diabetes is an ever consuming disease, it’s always on your mind,” says Rebecca Bishop. “You always have to think about what you’re going to be eating, what your numbers are, how much insulin you will need. This device is now essentially doing all that for me. It’s given me a new lease on life, a freedom I have not had since I was a child. It’s even waterproof.”
The MiniMed 670 G system features the Guardian Sensor, Medtronic’s newest and most advanced glucose sensor with enhanced accuracy and performance. It is the first and only sensor approved by the FDA. This device has only been released in the United States. Medtronic will continue commercial release of the MiniMed 670G as the year progresses. For more information, visit medtronic.com.
