New magnetic switch chip aims to double CGM battery standby life

MultiDimension Technology Co., Ltd. (MDT) has introduced the TMR1370, an ultra-low-power magnetic switch integrated circuit designed for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, the company announced. The chip is the newest addition to MDT's magnetic sensing portfolio built around its Tunneling Magnetoresistance (TMR) technology platform.

The TMR1370 builds on the company's existing TMR1367, TMR1368 and TMR1369 family of sensors, adding lower power consumption, wider voltage compatibility and a smaller package footprint, according to MDT. The company said the changes are intended to support next-generation CGM systems that require longer standby life without sacrificing sensing performance.

At the core of the new chip's pitch to device manufacturers is battery efficiency. The TMR1370 has a maximum supply current of just 50 nanoamps, with a typical draw of approximately 30 nanoamps at 3 volts, MDT said. When paired with the magnetic wake-up mechanism already common in CGM devices, the company said the sensor can support more than two years of standby operation — a figure aimed at extending product shelf life while preserving battery capacity for active monitoring once a device is activated by a patient or clinician.

MDT attributed the chip's power efficiency to its proprietary TMR technology platform, which the company said combines magnetic sensor design, device architecture and wafer process technology to deliver high magnetic sensitivity alongside low power draw. The TMR1370 uses X-axis magnetic sensing and is designed to complement MDT's existing X-axis and Z-axis CGM magnetic switch portfolio, giving device engineers flexibility in sensor orientation and mechanical layout across different CGM architectures, according to the company. MDT said the chip is also designed to allow for easier migration from earlier-generation devices in the same product family.

Beyond power draw, the TMR1370 is built for the physical constraints of wearable medical devices. The chip operates across a voltage range of 1.8 volts to 4.0 volts and has a maximum operating point below 40 Gauss for magnetic wake-up detection, per the company's specifications. It ships in a DFN5L package measuring 1.6 by 1.6 by 0.5 millimeters, which MDT said supports thinner, lighter wearable form factors.

MDT, founded in 2010 in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, China, has since expanded with branch offices in Shenzhen, Chengdu and Ningbo in China, as well as in Singapore, Tokyo and San Jose, California. The company said it maintains its own TMR manufacturing facilities capable of supporting volume production of the sensors.

The launch arrives as continuous glucose monitoring technology continues to expand well beyond its original clinical niche. What began as a prescription tool for patients with diabetes who use insulin has increasingly moved into broader consumer and preventive health use, a shift accelerated by regulatory changes that have made some CGM devices available without a prescription. That expansion has put pressure on component suppliers to shrink form factors and stretch battery life, since longer shelf life and smaller packaging directly affect how long a device can sit in a pharmacy or warehouse before activation, and how comfortable it is to wear once a patient begins using it.

The component-level competition playing out around chips like the TMR1370 mirrors a broader trend across wearable medical devices: as monitoring tools move from hospitals and specialty clinics into patients' homes and daily lives, the underlying sensors, batteries and packaging have to keep getting smaller and more efficient without compromising accuracy. For physicians, that translates into a growing menu of CGM options with longer usable lifespans and lower long-term costs of ownership — a factor that can influence which devices are practical to recommend for patients managing diabetes on an ongoing basis, particularly those who may be sensitive to the cost or hassle of frequent sensor replacement.