"When I first started taking multiple daily insulin injections, I felt like a pin cushion," said Catherine (KK) Patton, inventor of the i-port(R) and founder of Patton Medical Devices. "I knew there had to be a better way to manage my diabetes without the repeated needle sticks, and I knew that I was not the only person with diabetes who felt this way. So I came up with something better."
For people taking injection therapy who want to minimize the intrusion of injections on daily life, the i-port(R) is the only product of its kind conceived by a person with diabetes that offers a simple and convenient way to eliminate the need to puncture the skin with each dose of medication. Taking injectable medications may cause pain, bruising, discomfort or anxiety due to repeated skin punctures. For a person requiring four injections per day, the i-port(R) could reduce the total number of skin punctures from 120 per month to as few as 10 per month.
"For me, taking injections was like putting a gun to my head. I hated doing it, and as a result did not take my medicine as much as I needed to," said
Patricia's story is not uncommon. Results from a recent survey of 500 people with diabetes who require insulin showed that 83 percent would like to reduce the number of injections they have to give themselves each day, and 33 percent of respondents have experienced some level of dread relating to insulin injections. Additionally, more than 29 percent of individuals surveyed felt that injecting insulin was the hardest aspect of their diabetes care, and 47 percent would be more likely to administer their injections regularly if a product was available that would ease the pain and discomfort of injections. However, even though insulin injections had such an impact on these individuals, 52 percent do not proactively discuss their concerns regarding the physical and emotional aspects of injecting with their healthcare provider. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 24 million people in the U.S. with diabetes, and more than six million of them take injections of some kind as part or all of their treatment.(1)
"With millions of people taking injections to manage their diabetes, healthcare providers need as many options as possible to help make those injections easier so patients can get the full benefit of treatment," said
The i-port(R) is a small, circular, low-profile device about the size of a quarter. When the i-port(R) is applied, an insertion needle guides a tiny, flexible tube under the skin. Once applied, the insertion needle is removed and only the tiny soft tube remains below the skin, acting as the medication gateway into the subcutaneous tissue. An adhesive layer keeps the small device in place. Once on the skin, the needle of a syringe or insulin pen is used to deliver medication. The needle remains above the surface of the skin, delivering the medication through the tiny soft tube of the i-port(R) and into the subcutaneous tissue — without puncturing the skin. Similar to a bandage, the i-port(R) is so small, that once applied most people don't even notice it's in place.
ABOUT THE i-port(R)
The i-port(R) was cleared by the FDA in
ABOUT CATHERINE (KK) PATTON
Catherine (KK) Patton is an
ABOUT PATTON MEDICAL DEVICES
Headquartered in
(1) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The National Diabetes Fact Sheet:
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SOURCE Patton Medical Devices
