As a type 1 diabetic currently on an insulin pump (the Omnipod, for those with knowledge of such things), I am consistently frustrated with some of the lack of integration of these pumps with other devices I use on a daily basis.

For one, I currently carry around a cell phone, a laptop, an insulin pump, and an iPod when I go to school. And, when I decide to get a continuous glucose monitor, that will likely be another palm-sized apparatus to lug around. Add to this, when doing rotations at the hospital, a beeper, plus the various odds and ends a medical student needs around like a stethoscope, penlight, etc. It's a lot to remember, and making sure I leave the house with everything I need for the day is a daunting task.

People like Steve Jobs have done an amazing job integrating a lot of these technologies into one device (read: iPhone). But why have none of them ventured into the medical device field?

Currently, insulin pumps, while better than their predecessors, still tend to be clunky, ugly, less-than-ergonomic machines that do one or two things. Mine for instance, delivers insulin, and acts as a glucose monitor. However, an insulin pump that really acts more as a PDA, cell phone, mp3 player, etc, would make my life MUCH easier, and would immediately earn my health care dollars. We are so close to using some great technology for good, but we need business leaders who see this potential and are willing to integrate their technology in medical devices.

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