New Tubeless Insulin Pump Shows Promise for Young People With Type 1 Diabetes

Researchers followed 76 children and adolescents (average age 13 years) who started using the A8 TouchCare Nano automated insulin delivery system. This is a tubeless pump—meaning it doesn't rely on traditional plastic tubing to deliver insulin. Instead, it uses an adaptive control algorithm called APGO to automatically adjust insulin delivery based on continuous glucose readings.

The study tracked participants for six months, measuring blood sugar control at baseline, one month, three months, and six months. The main goal was to see how well the system worked at keeping blood sugar in the healthy target range of 70–180 mg/dL.

The improvements came quickly. Within one month, the average time in range jumped from 59% at the start to 74.2%—a meaningful jump toward the recommended target of 70% or higher. This improvement held steady at three and six months.

Beyond time in range, researchers also measured time in a tighter range (70–140 mg/dL), glucose variability (how much blood sugar bounces around), and HbA1c. All of these metrics improved. HbA1c dropped from 7.4% to 6.9% over the first six months, moving users closer to glycaemic targets recommended by pediatric diabetes societies.

Glucose variability also declined, meaning blood sugar swings became less dramatic—something that matters for how people feel day-to-day and their long-term health.

A critical part of any insulin delivery study is tracking safety. Researchers found no episodes of severe hypoglycemia (dangerously low blood sugar) or diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious metabolic emergency) over the six-month follow-up. This is reassuring, though it's important to remember that any automated system still requires active user engagement and regular monitoring.

This is one of the first studies to evaluate this specific tubeless pump system in children and adolescents in real-world settings—not just in tightly controlled research environments. That matters because real life includes school schedules, sports, illness, stress, and all the complexity that comes with managing Type 1 diabetes as a young person.

The results suggest that tubeless automated insulin delivery systems with adaptive algorithms can help young people achieve better blood sugar control quickly, with a strong safety profile over at least six months. If you or your child is considering an automated system, this study adds to the evidence supporting their potential benefit—though any decision should be made with your diabetes care team based on your individual circumstances.

Source: Diabetes, obesity & metabolism. Evidence type: PubMed indexed literature. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.