STMicroelectronics is working with Swiss medical device firm Debiotech to manufacture a semiconductor pump for insulin patches.

The pump needs to be small enough to be mounted on a disposable skin patch to provide continuous insulin infusion.

The MEMS device (pictured), called a Nanopump, won a technology award last year and will now be produced as a commercial product. It is a microfluidic device which allows the flow of small amounts of fluids to be electronically controlled.

It will be used for continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII), an alternative to insulin injections that must be administered several times a day.

With CSII, the patient is connected to a programmable pump attached to a storage reservoir, from which insulin is infused into the tissue under the skin. Continuous delivery, throughout the day, more closely mimics the natural secretion of insulin from the pancreas.

The device is significantly smaller than today’s insulin pumps which can be the size of a pager. It will be available in selected markets in 2008.

Philips and Cambridge Consultants have also developed a new type of wireless medical device for managing diabetes.