this
hockey puck sized medical device
represents a dramatic step forward
in the treatment of diabetes it's called
pims programmable implantable medication
system
all this sophisticated hardware fits
together in a titanium shell
to form a computer pump and reservoir
inventor robert fischell this whole
computer for pims
runs on just over one millionth the
power of a flashlight bulb
some of the technology was borrowed from
a pair of viking spacecraft that landed
on mars
in the mid 1970s so far about 20
patients have received the experimental
implant
it's inserted just below the skin in the
abdomen and can be refilled with insulin
every two to three months the first
recipient of pims was jack pietro
a professor at american university's
school of international service
in washington dc congressional
monitoring
for 28 years jack has had diabetes
like one million other americans he
coped with his body's inability to break
down sugars
through daily insulin injections
jack's daily routine includes some tasks
common to us all
and some not so common he must do a
blood sugar test before and after all
meals and activities
the reading helps determine how much
insulin he needs
after considering what he will eat for
breakfast
with this handheld unit information is
relayed to the pump's computer
controlling the release of insulin
once an appropriate dose is entered a
start command is given
the two units communicate with each
other using telemetry
the same way satellites beam information
from outer space
the key to maintaining normal blood
sugar is through careful regulation of
diet
insulin and exercise jack plays tennis
regularly
he thinks pins may have helped him win
last summer's 55 and over baltimore open
tennis championship
one of the sort of unsuspected benefits
for me has been a
a general upgrading of health i feel
better
and in many ways it's like a new life
meet 23 year old melissa frank a lab
technician in eldersburg maryland
for as long as she can remember diabetes
has been part of her life
melissa regulates her blood sugar with
insulin injections
often four times a day but there are
side effects
for instance her skin has developed a
dangerous resistance to absorbing
insulin properly this results in poor
blood sugar control
which can lead to blindness nerve
disorders liver and heart damage
this summer melissa is going to have an
insulin pump implanted
and is very excited because she has seen
the difference it has made
with other patients who have it that's
why i want it
because i've had my disease so long now
i don't want to have complications by
the time i hit 30.
pims programmable implantable medication
system
using space technology to improve the
daily lives
of people with diabetes
you