People with diabetes who wear an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor (CGM) have long been dreaming of an integrated solution that would let them wear just a single device on their bodies, instead of two separate units poking their skin in different places. An Oregon-based startup may well have the answer.

At our recent DiabetesMine Innovation Summit, startup Pacific Diabetes Technologies presented the company’s efforts to bring a combined CGM sensor+insulin infusion set to market.

“The reason we got into this was ‘device burden,’ where people have to use several devices and it’s cumbersome,” says Dr. Ken Ward, a bioscience engineer who’s been involved in glucose sensing at companies like Bayer and iSense before co-founding PDT. “Despite the science showing these devices are very effective, many people don’t wear their pumps and sensor all the time. Our belief is ‘device burden’ has a lot to do with that, so we want to create a single device where the cannula and glucose sensing is all-in-one.”

PDT says the insulin delivery will not interfere with CGM readings — enabled by their hollow sensor with “redox mediator” technology that’s different than what existing CGM manufacturers use today.

The company has a working prototype and is currently seeking investors and research partners, according to CEO and co-founder Robert Cargill.

Some may remember that Medtronic was working on a similar integrated solution called Minimed Duo about 5 years ago, but that product was never launched. PDT is now poised to be the first to bring this type of combo device to market.