Type-1 diabetics trust their lives to their insulin pumps. Accordingly, the long-term functional reliability of the sealing systems in these small devices is vital as well. Freudenberg Sealing Technologies’ Schwalmstadt plant in Germany has reached a new sales agreement with the Swiss medical technology company Ypsomed.
Type-1 diabetics depend on the constant intake of insulin. Portable insulin makes it possible for them to live active, mobile lives – without always having to inject insulin themselves with a syringe or insulin pen. Portable insulin pumps constantly deliver the vital hormone into patients in precise dosages, keeping the their metabolism in balance.
The weight of the model developed by the Swiss medical technology company Ypsomed is a surprising 83 grams (2.9 ounces) – including the battery and a full insulin cartridge. Several years ago, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) developed a special rod seal for it. “The challenge was to combine a high degree of leak tightness with minimal friction,” recalled Patrick Kinsch, Product Developer, Lead Center Fluid Power Industry.
The pump is calibrated to the patient’s separately determined blood sugar level. The target versus actual comparison is based on various parameters that are conveyed into the pump itself, mainly with a force measurement unit in the drive. To get a reliable measurement – and thus precise control of the pump and the dosing of the insulin – it is crucial for the amount of friction in the drive to be as low as possible.
FST and sister company Klüber Lubrication jointly developed the combination of an innovative seal and a lubricant adapted to it. The rod seal keeps dirt out of the system when insulin cartridges are changed and seals the motor against insulin leaks if the cartridge accidentally cracks.
“At the start of the project, Ypsomed assumed it would need 10,000 seals per year. Now the figure is five times that. We reached an agreement with the customer on a two-year purchase contract for this large volume,” Kinsch said.
FST AG in Zürich, Switzerland, is supporting the project with the Swiss medical technology company on the sales side.
