Someone came up with an interesting idea to try and present to us Westerners the notion that China is no longer a technologically backward country — and to do it in a very charming way 😊.
"Come to our cities Shanghai and Hangzhou and to the factory where we produce Aidex and the new LinX sensors, as well as the Equil patch insulin pumps, and see for yourselves that we are far more advanced than you think!"
Equil pumps and Aidex sensors are already present in some countries of Europe.
What does Microtech have now and what is coming in the future?
Equil tubeless insulin pump
I had the incredible opportunity to see the new version of the Equil insulin pump, and we are publishing an exclusive photo. The current version has a reservoir capacity of 200 units, is not fully waterproof, which means it needs to be (easily) removed before swimming and placed back afterward. In addition, at this moment it does not yet have the ability to automatically correct high and low blood glucose.
On the left is the new version of the pump, waterproof with a 3ml reservoir; on the right is the current one.
The new smaller version is coming in the third quarter of 2025, will have a capacity of 300 units of insulin, will be fully waterproof, and will connect to the newest miniature LinX sensors! Initially, it will be able to suspend insulin delivery before hypoglycemia, while automatic correction of highs will follow later.
Aidex sensors
Today’s Aidex sensors have a separate transmitter and last 10 or 14 days; they feature optional blood calibration and connect to a mobile phone.
The new Aidex sensors, under the name LinX, should arrive in Europe later this year! They last 15 days and are extremely small, have an integrated transmitter, parental/follower mode, and retain optional blood calibration 😊. Another interesting point is that Microtech managed to create a sensor that sends glucose data every minute — something previously done only by Abbott.
Another interesting point is that in Europe the sensor will come in a drop-like shape, not the round version shown in the photo. Abbott holds the patent for round sensors, which is the main reason most other manufacturers avoid that shape.
The tiny LinX sensor on Antonija
Both Antonia and I tested the sensors and found them to be very accurate. They are very small — about the size of a 20 euro cent coin. Since the sensor looks much nicer on Antonija, I attached her photo above 🙂
What is the factory like?
We toured the entire Microtech factory, which includes production, marketing, the research and development department, management, etc. We were not allowed to take photos of production workers in their space-suit-like sterile uniforms. Still, here is one officially approved picture 🙂
Microtech high-tech factory for the production of sensors and insulin pumps
Antonia and I took a photo nearby in the hallway
Microtech produces an impressive 70,000 sensors per day, and what made me happiest was that they have not given up on people. Although we saw large and advanced machines, as seen in one of the photos, people are still present — not only robots 😊.
A warm welcome 🙂
The Chinese are excellent hosts 😊
After an interesting tour of the factory with China’s latest technological achievements, our hosts went out of their way to treat us well and introduced us to outstanding Chinese cuisine and the city of Hangzhou 🙂.
Hangzhou is, by Chinese standards, a small town near Shanghai, yet it has only slightly fewer inhabitants than Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Croatia combined 😊.
It is known for a remarkable number of technologically advanced factories and globally recognized companies. For the full experience, there is also a huge lake system that can be explored by traditional Chinese boats or on foot.
Conclusion
After 10 years, I returned to China and had a lot to see — everything has changed. For the first time in my life, I didn’t exchange money into the local currency (yuan), but instead paid absolutely everything with my phone. Alipay is the app you install and link to your credit card — and China becomes yours.
Above us is the current speed of the Chinese Maglev train — 300 km/h! 🙂
From cooked crabs at street stalls, to tickets for the Maglev — the fastest train in the world — to hotels and top-tier technology, everything is within reach via mobile apps. Add to that the fact that Shanghai and Hangzhou are impeccably clean and safe cities. The eSIM for fantastic internet access is also available and works flawlessly!
As for the Aidex/LinX sensors and the Equil insulin pumps from China, they are working hard to earn their place on the European market alongside the well-known American brands. Manufacturing high-quality sensors is a major challenge, but the Chinese have taken it very seriously and are progressing rapidly. Good luck to everyone! 🙂
