Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced today that it has reached the
milestone of more than one million sensors for its continuous glucose
monitoring (CGM) products manufactured and sold. The recipient of the
milestone one millionth sensor was Tim Parker of San Jose, Calif.
Parker, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 11 years ago, has used CGM
therapy for two years to help him manage his diabetes.
“Today we salute Tim, thousands of patients
like him and all of the Medtronic employees who have contributed to the
success of our CGM technology,” said Chris O’Connell,
president of the Diabetes business at Medtronic. “Medtronic
pioneered CGM 10 years ago, and this important milestone demonstrates
our momentum and clear industry leadership in the exciting new field of
continuous glucose monitoring.”
Parker relies on his Paradigm™
REAL-Time System, and says it is fundamental to managing his diabetes
effectively. Prior to adopting integrated insulin pump and CGM therapy,
Parker – like many people with diabetes –
experienced unexplained blood glucose excursions that worried him. “I
would go to bed with my blood glucose levels at 110 and wake up at 220.
What could be happening to my body while I was asleep?”
said Parker. Motivated to keep his blood glucose in check, he began
researching options and learned about Medtronic’s
CGM products on the Internet.
After receiving a prescription from his physician, Parker quickly
experienced the value of having an integrated approach to his diabetes.
“When I first started using CGM, I was amazed
at all the information I had at my fingertips. I could see how food,
exercise and sleep affected my blood glucose levels day and night, which
is something I wasn’t able to do before,”
he recalled. “CGM gives me powerful
information that allows me to take the right steps to better manage my
diabetes, and provides alarms to help me avoid dangerous lows that I
often cannot detect on my own.”
As the pioneer in glucose sensing technology, Medtronic has more than a
decade of CGM experience, and is leading the technology revolution in
diabetes care by providing patients with new levels of protection,
confidence and freedom in managing their diabetes.
The Paradigm REAL-Time Insulin Pump and Continuous Glucose Monitoring
(CGM) System is the world’s first insulin
pump with REAL-Time continuous glucose monitoring. The Paradigm
REAL-Time System has all of the benefits of CGM plus the added value of
precise insulin delivery through the use of insulin pump therapy. The
Guardian™ REAL-Time
System is a stand-alone CGM device without insulin delivery. Both
devices are available for adult patients as well as children ages seven
to 17.
The Paradigm REAL-Time System relays glucose readings every five minutes
from a glucose sensor to the insulin pump, which displays up to 288
readings a day – nearly 100 times more
information than three daily fingersticks. Glucose measurements obtained
by the sensor are relayed every five minutes and displayed in three-hour
and 24-hour trend graphs, as well as arrows to indicate how quickly
glucose is moving up or down.
To celebrate Parker’s receipt of the one
millionth glucose sensor, he will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to
Medtronic’s Diabetes facility located in
Northridge, Calif., where he will tour the facility, meet the senior
management and engineering teams and see the glucose sensor
manufacturing process.
Diabetes Statistics
According to the American Diabetes Association, almost 21 million
Americans (seven percent of the population) have the disease. Diabetes
affects children and adults, costing the United States more than $174
billion in direct and indirect healthcare expenditures.
About The Diabetes Business at Medtronic
The Diabetes division at Medtronic (www.medtronicdiabetes.com)
is the world leader in advanced diabetes management solutions, including
integrated diabetes management systems, insulin pump therapy, continuous
glucose monitoring systems and therapy management software.
About Medtronic
Medtronic, Inc. (www.medtronic.com),
headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical
technology, alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for
millions of people around the world.
Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties
such as those described in Medtronic’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 27, 2007. Actual
results may differ materially from anticipated results.
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