What is an insulin pump?

I believe most people are very familiar with ordinary insulin, but many people don’t know about insulin pumps, which are an instrument frequently used in medicine. The use of this instrument can ensure the stability of human blood sugar. Its most important function is to control diabetes, especially for people with more serious diabetes. It is still necessary to use insulin pumps. The following is a detailed introduction to the knowledge about insulin pumps.

What is an insulin pump?

Insulin pump therapy is an insulin treatment method that uses an artificial intelligence-controlled insulin infusion device to simulate the physiological secretion pattern of insulin through continuous subcutaneous infusion of insulin, thereby controlling hyperglycemia. It contains a reservoir for short-acting or rapid-acting insulin, and a display screen and some buttons outside for setting the pump program. The sensitive drive motor slowly pushes the insulin from the reservoir through the infusion catheter into the subcutaneous tissue. The infusion tubing comes in different lengths and securely connects the pump to the body.

(1) Simulate the physiological pancreatic secretion function to better control blood sugar and improve HbA1c levels

(2) Use short-acting or rapid-acting insulin and continuously infuse small doses at the same site, overcoming the conventional injection method. Many people choose the abdomen as the site for insulin administration. This site is easy to operate and the absorption of insulin is stable. Other sites include the buttocks, outer thighs, and deltoid muscles of the arms.

An insulin pump consists of a reservoir filled with insulin (similar to a regular syringe), a small battery that drives the pump, and a computer chip that allows the user to accurately regulate the amount of insulin delivered, all contained in a plastic box about the size of a pager. The reservoir infuses insulin into the body through a thin plastic tube called an infusion line. The infusion line is 61cm or 107cm long, with a steel needle or soft needle at the end, through which insulin is injected into the body. Steel needles and soft needles each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and are generally chosen based on specific circumstances.

There are different classifications according to different standards: stationary pumps and ambulatory pumps; standard pumps and portable pumps; external pumps and implantable pumps; mechanical pumps, electronic pumps and gravity pumps; volumetric pumps and peristaltic pumps, as shown in Figure 6. Fixed pumps have precise control and complete alarms, but are large in size; portable pumps are small in size and can be carried by patients. They use batteries as power sources and are only suitable for small-volume infusions; implantable pumps are easy to use and will not be affected by patient movement during infusions, but require surgical procedures; mechanical pumps use positive pressure to deliver drugs and fluids, have no power source (batteries or AC), are small in size, and are portable. They are mainly used to deliver small volumes, long-term or intermittent infusions, and are usually used for chemical medical, analgesic or antibiotic infusions; electronic pumps can achieve an infusion rate of up to 999mL/h and can be intelligently controlled.