Medtronic’s pump now uses an Abbott-made sensor
Medtronic began US sales of the MiniMed 780G paired with the Abbott-made Instinct sensor, its first pump-and-sensor pairing across two companies.
Medtronic has started selling its MiniMed 780G insulin pump paired with a new sensor made by Abbott, called Instinct, in the United States. It is the first time Medtronic’s automated pump has worked with a sensor built by another company, and the Instinct sensor is worn for up to 15 days. This is a US launch. If you use a 780G in the UK, nothing changes for you today, and your diabetes team can tell you which sensors are supported here.
- The MiniMed 780G is an automated pump: it uses CGM (continuous glucose monitor) readings to adjust your background insulin for you.
- Medtronic pumps normally use Medtronic’s own sensors, so pairing with an Abbott-made sensor is a genuine first.
- The Instinct sensor is worn for up to 15 days before you change it.
- This launched in the US. Whether or when it reaches UK 780G users has not been announced.
What Medtronic announced
In December 2025 Medtronic began commercial sales in the US of the MiniMed 780G system working with the Instinct sensor, which Abbott makes. Medtronic described bringing together Abbott’s sensor with the 780G’s algorithm as an effective combination. The headline is not really the wear time on its own, it is that two companies who usually stick to their own kit have paired a pump and a sensor across brands.
For context, an automated pump leans heavily on its sensor. The sensor sends glucose readings every few minutes, and the pump’s algorithm nudges insulin up or down in response. So which sensor a pump can talk to genuinely matters to how it feels to use day to day.
The Instinct sensor’s up to 15-day wear is a little longer than several sensors already in everyday use, which tend to last around 10 to 14 days. That is a step rather than a leap, and for most people the bigger story here is the cross-brand pairing itself, not the extra day or two between changes.
What this means for UK pump users
If you are in the UK, this is news to be aware of rather than to act on. The launch is in the US, and Medtronic has not announced whether the Instinct pairing will come to UK 780G users, or when. You do not need to do anything, and you should not change your sensor or pump setup based on a US launch.
More sensor choice is usually good news over time, because it can mean more flexibility and, sometimes, longer wear. But the only reliable source for what works with your pump in the UK is your diabetes team, because supported combinations here are decided separately from the US.