In-Clinic Evaluation of the MiniMed 670G System "Suspend Before Low" Feature in Children with Type 1 Diabetes
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Updated: Oct 4, 2026

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Published on: June 11, 2012
Michael A Wood1, Dorothy I Shulman2, Gregory P Forlenza3
11 Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Michigan Medical School , Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Insights
The MiniMed 670G system
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Pediatric Diabetes Management
Background:
- The Medtronic predictive low-glucose management (PLGM) algorithm is designed to automatically suspend insulin delivery.
- This feature aims to prevent hypoglycemia by predicting future low glucose levels.
- The MiniMed™ 670G system incorporates the SmartGuard™ "suspend before low" feature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of the PLGM algorithm's "suspend before low" feature.
- To assess its effectiveness in preventing hypoglycemia in children with type 1 diabetes.
- To analyze the accuracy of the Guardian™ Sensor 3 glucose sensor.
Main Methods:
- An overnight in-clinic evaluation was conducted on 105 children (aged 7-13 years) with type 1 diabetes.
- The "suspend before low" feature was tested with a low-limit setting of 65 mg/dL.
- Frequent sample testing (FST) was used for glucose monitoring, with varying frequencies based on glucose levels.
Main Results:
- The "suspend before low" feature activated in 79 participants, successfully preventing hypoglycemia below 65 mg/dL in 79.7% of cases.
- The mean glucose level at activation was 102 ± 19 mg/dL, with an average insulin suspension of 87.5 ± 32.7 minutes.
- The mean absolute relative difference between FST and sensor glucose values was 11.4% on the first day of sensor wear.
Conclusions:
- The "suspend before low" feature of the MiniMed 670G system effectively prevented hypoglycemia in nearly 80% of children with type 1 diabetes after exercise.
- No rebound hyperglycemia or severe hypoglycemia events were observed during the evaluation.
- The PLGM algorithm performed as intended, demonstrating its utility in pediatric diabetes management.
Background:
The Medtronic predictive low-glucose management (PLGM) algorithm automatically stops insulin delivery when sensor glucose (SG) is predicted to reach or fall below a preset low-glucose value within the next 30 min, and resumes delivery after hypoglycemia recovery. The present study evaluated the PLGM algorithm performance of the MiniMed™ 670G system SmartGuard™ "suspend before low" feature in children aged 7-13 years with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
Method:
Participants (N = 105, mean ± standard deviation of 10.8 ± 1.8 years) underwent an overnight in-clinic evaluation of the "suspend before low" feature with a preset low limit of 65 mg/dL. After exercise, frequent sample testing (FST) was conducted every 5 min if values were <70 mg/dL; every 15 min if 70-80 mg/dL; and every 30 min if >80 mg/dL. First-day performance of the Guardian™ Sensor 3 glucose sensor and continuous glucose monitoring system was also evaluated.
Results:
Activation of the "suspend before low" feature occurred in 79 of the 105 participants, 79.7% (63/79) did not result in SG falling below 65 mg/dL. Mean glucose at activation was 102 ± 19 mg/dL and the initial insulin suspension duration was 87.5 ± 32.7 min. Four hours after insulin resumption, mean reference glucose was 130 ± 42 mg/dL. Mean absolute relative difference between the FST reference glucose and SG values on the first day of sensor wear was 11.4%. For the 26 participants in whom the "suspend before low" feature did not activate, none involved a reference glucose value ≤65 mg/dL, suggesting that the PLGM algorithm performed as intended.
Conclusion:
In children aged 7-13 years with T1D, the "suspend before low" feature of the MiniMed 670G system demonstrated a hypoglycemia prevention rate of nearly 80% after exercise and did not involve rebound hyperglycemia. There were no events of severe hypoglycemia during the evaluation.
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