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Insulin discovered
Frederick Banting, MD, and his then student assistant, Charles Best, MD, extracted insulin from dog pancreases. They injected the insulin into dogs whose pancreases had been removed, and the animals’ blood sugar levels went down. -
First insulin injection given to a child
Drs. Banting and Best used insulin for the first time to treat a person with diabetes, but not until after they tested it on themselves to be certain it was safe. The first person to receive insulin was a 14-year-old boy, Leonard Thompson. Thompson, a Canadian, had suffered from "severe" diabetes for two years, and was surviving on the "starvation" diet prescribed for people with diabetes at the time. Insulin saved his life. -
Standardized Insulin Syringe Approved
Becton Dickinson and Company began production of a standardized insulin syringe designed and approved by the American Diabetes Association. The standardized syringe reduced dosing errors and the associated episodes of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. -
First Oral Medication for Diabetes Became Available
Sulfonylureas, oral medications that stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin, became available. New, more potent forms of these drugs became available later. -
Distinct Types of Diabetes Identified
Using radioimmunoassay technology, Solomon Berson, MD, and Rosalyn Yalow, PhD, developed a method for measuring insulin in the blood. They noticed that some people with diabetes still make their own insulin and they identified “insulin-dependent” (type 1) and “non-insulin-dependent” (type 2) diabetes. -
First prototype of an insulin pump
Delivered glucagon as well as insulin, similar to a backpack and was developed by Dr Arnold Kadish. -
Successful Pancreas Transplant Performed
The first successful pancreas transplant was performed at the University of Minnesota Hospital. It allows people with type 1 diabetes to produce insulin again.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pancreas-transplant/ -
First wearable infusion pump was invented
By Dean Kamen
This device was used in medical fields such as chemotherapy and endocrinology and was later transformed into the first wearable insulin pump for individuals with diabetes.
https://www.healthable.org/the-evolution-of-the-insulin-pump/ -
AutoSyringe Inc
Began to manufacture and market the pumps Dean Kamen invented. -
Portable insulin pumps introduced
Portable insulin pumps were introduced and researchers achieved normal blood glucose levels in patients using them. But, due to their large size, they were impractical at this time. The first commercially successful insulin pump, the Minimed 502, was introduced in 1983. -
Intensive Insulin Therapy Used
Introduction of the basal-bolus concept enabled "intensive insulin therapy" to be used in the clinic to effectively treat people with type 1 diabetes.
