Steady Shot
Shawn Michels, CEO & Founder
shawn@mysteadyshot.com
Diabetics need multiple injections of insulin a day, and it is necessary for them to rotate injection spots to avoid lipohypertrophy (LH). LH is damage to the subcutaneous tissue (SubQ) caused by repeated injections to the same spot. Not only does this result in more pain when injecting, but the damage tissue can also cause delayed and unpredictable insulin absorption which can lead to inconsistent target glucose results. To avoid this, doctors recommend rotating the injection site each time you administer a shot between five different areas: stomach, back of arms, back, thighs, and buttocks.
As a type 1 diabetic himself, Shawn Michels experienced LH first-hand. Realizing this pain and bruising was now part of his new reality, he wanted to do something about it. In April 2016, he built a simple guide with a recessed needle in his parents’ garage that would stabilize the insulin pen for easy one-handed use. Steady Shot was born.
To help the 7.3 Americans who inject insulin—38% of which have LH—Shawn wanted to make his product widely available. He worked with a startup generator at UW-Madison, called Discovery to Product, that funded the commercialization of Steady Shot. In February 2020, the product officially launched.
Now Steady Shot is available as an add-on for diabetes insulin pen needles that guides the needle at a 90-degree angle into the SubQ, lessening the need to manually aim the needle. This makes administrating insulin easy for everyone, including those on the go, newly diagnosed patients, as well as people who may have issues injecting on their own such as the elderly or those with shaky hands, dexterity issues, or a disability.
