WASHINGTON -- Some diabetics will no longer have to add up how much insulin they need for every bite of food.

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The Food and Drug Administration approved a device that checks blood sugar, calculates the insulin needed and signals an implanted pump to send the right dose.

The new system, the first of its kind to be approved, combines a Medtronic MiniMed insulin pump with a glucose monitor from Becton Dickinson. Patients will still have to prick a finger for blood to test, and they will have to program in meal plans.

But since the glucose meter calculates and transmits information to the insulin pump automatically, it prevents the errors that sometimes can result when patients input this data manually.

Diabetes specialists hope the new device will make it easier for patients to manage their disease.