The Algorithm: A 10-Year Journey "I thought about it day and night. I even dreamed about it," says Medtronic scientist Benyamin Grosman.

“Math is what drives us - that’s our bread and butter,” says Roy.

The algorithm would eventually be programmed inside the Medtronic MiniMed 670G system – the world’s first hybrid close looped insulin delivery system. It took nearly 10 years to put together, because the formula needed to mimic what the human body does naturally.

But that’s no easy math problem.

Blood sugar is constantly changing and from person to person, everyone is different. The algorithm, which would control the flow of insulin, needed to adjust to individual needs, how they responded to physical activity, how they absorb food, and so on.

They got to work.

“We’re talking about years, not days,” says Roy. “You do trials, you gain confidence, make tweaks, and return to a clinical environment. You have to have patience in healthcare, because you have to get it right.”

They were consumed. It meant middle-of-the-night emails and months of real-world testing. And they felt the pressure.