Advances in Insulin Delivery

Thanks to modern medical research, new kinds of insulin are being developed, and the syringe, needle, and vials of insulin no longer need to be carried with you if you need multiple injections. While the syringe remains the most common method for delivering insulin, advances are being made to simplify the method of delivery. Researchers had developed an insulin pill but found that enzymes from the stomach broke it down before it delivered the insulin. A patch also proved to be disappointing. Various other methods often proved too complicated or impractical.

A step up from the needle and syringes, and vials of insulin are the pre-filled insulin pins. The points of these pins are easy to cover, the pin injects the correct amount of insulin, and the insulin is delivered by an item that looks like a cartridge pen. If you need to make multiple injections a day, the insulin pen may be the answer for you. Cartridges are available with the many different forms of insulin available and a dial allows you to inject the needed number of units you need. The tip of the pen is a disposable needle. It punctures the skin just enough to deliver the insulin. Because they are small and disposable, they are easier to carry than regular syringes, insulin, swabs, and needles.

One of the most recent advances is the insulin pump. Several companies already market a pump for insulin delivery and over 50,000 people are using it worldwide. This pump is made of a reservoir that is similar to an insulin cartridge, a battery-driven pump, and a computer chip. The computer chip allows the user to control the insulin delivered to the body. The pumps available on today's market are about the size of a pager. The pump attaches to the abdomen and a thin plastic tube with a small, soft needle is inserted under the skin. The cannula (or needle) is replaced every two days and the pump can be removed while showering or swimming. The insulin pump delivers insulin twenty-four hours a day, delivered at a set rate and programmable to allow for sleeping, exercising, and variations in lifestyle

Another promising way of giving insulin is the inhalation method. The United States Food and Drug Administration have not approved this method. It is in phase III testing (which means that human testing has occurred). The results have been promising, and it might be on the market in the next one to two years. Many other medications are delivered with the inhalation method. Asthma sufferers have inhalation therapy that eases the effects of an asthma attack. Insulin would need to reach the air sacks at the end of the bronchial tubes, as the tubes cannot absorb the insulin. Powdered nebulizers and inhalers are being tested but need to be proved safe before approved by the FDA.

Many Americans suffer from diabetes, and many more will be diagnosed in the future. Obesity is growing more common and as people are educated, more cases of diabetes will be found. Scientists and researchers are still looking for a better more efficient way to deliver insulin to the body.