A Model-Based Design Journey from Aerospace to an Artificial Pancreas System

Throughout the history of medicine, the sole method of therapy development has been arduous, trial-and-error iterations of clinical studies. With the advent of medical device technologies in the late 20th century, engineering principles were introduced that over time led to new ways of thinking about system development for medical applications. In parallel, model-based development tools and methodologies began taking root in aerospace applications, particularly in the area of flight control system development. By the early 2000s, the time was ripe for aerospace system development techniques to cross over into medical technology.

In this talk, hear about a cross-disciplinary journey of Model-Based Design from aerospace to medical technology, leading to Medtronic’s development of an artificial pancreas system that provides automated insulin therapy for people living with type 1 diabetes. Now, armed with this methodology and the MATLAB^® and Simulink^® products that enable it, Medtronic is able to design, validate, and launch new artificial pancreas technologies at a speed that was previously unimaginable—leading to diabetes therapy that is commonly described as life-changing.