Implantable CGM tracks blood sugar for 3 months at a time
A new matchstick-sized continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can be implanted under the skin, allowing diabetics to track their blood sugar without the inconvenience of finger pricks and patches, according to a CBS report.
The Eversense CGM is an implantable sensor rather than a wearable one, Gregory Dodell, a physician at Central Park Endocrinology in New York, said. Most wearable CGMs collect data patients can then upload and bring to their doctors, but they’re also stuck on the skin and need to be replaced every 10 to 14 days.
The implantable monitor tracks a patient’s blood sugar every few minutes—rather than using finger sticks every few hours—and is good for three months before it needs to be replaced with a minimally invasive procedure involving local anesthesia. The only visible element of the device is a transmitter that can be removed for swimming or similar activities.
“It has made my life freeing,” Alan Sorin, a patient who recently had an Eversense implanted, told CBS. “I start my day at home, I check my blood then. I’m out for the day, I always know I’ll be returning home.”
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After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.