If you attended the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2019 Scientific Sessions, you might have heard first-hand the news that Tidepool is working with diabetes device manufacturers Metronic, Dexcom, and Omnipod to help create an interoperable automated insulin pump system – Tidepool Loop.  Tidepool is a non-profit data hub for patients and clinicians to combine and view data for insulin pumps, CGMs and blood glucose and make it easy to understand and interpret.   Medtronic manufactures the only commercial available hybrid closed-loop system (aka artificial pancreas) and its components CGM and insulin pump.  Dexcom manufactures the G6 interoperable continuous glucose monitoring system (iCGM), and the Omnipod System that is a wearable three day insulin delivery system.   Together these manufacturers plan to work with Tidepool on the regulatory and software processes necessary to develop Tidepool Loop as an FDA–regulated version of Loop.

This is big news to those using or wishing to use a hybrid closed loop system as these developments open the door to interoperability of devices that will empower people with diabetes in their health care decision-making.  Although this technology is planned to be launched in the USA, Diabetes Action Canada currently has two funded clinical studies testing an artificial pancreas algorithm.  The first study led by Dr. Bruce Perkins will identify the feasibility and efficacy of combined SGLT2 inhibition therapy and artificial pancreas treatment using quantitative outcome measures and questionnaires in subjects with type 1 diabetes.  The second led by Dr. Remi Rhabasa-Lhoret, examines an insulin pump technology that includes two configurations, one that infuses insulin (single-hormone) alone and another that infuses insulin and the counter-regulatory hormone glucagon (dual-hormone).  We are also working with Tidepool to integrate the system into our digital assets. We expect that this technology will soon be available to Canadians and informed by Canadians and our health system.

News release on Medtronic and Tidepool collaboration can be found here

News release on Dexcom and Tidepool collaboration can be found here

News release on Omnipod and Tidepool collaboration can be found here