A combination of a smartphone, glucose monitor, and insulin pump is helping patients with Type 1 Diabetes.
No, a bionic pancreas is not a cure for diabetes, but a collaboration of two medical teams has found a way to offer diabetic patients a glimpse at a normal life.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston University have created a bionic pancreas that automatically measures a diabetic’s blood sugar and even releases insulin when it is needed.
How it works
A sensor is placed below a patient’s skin to monitor his or her blood sugar under the tissue.
The sensor works in conjunction with an iPhone app so it will send the measurement data to the phone, which then calculates the amount of insulin needed every five minutes. The insulin is provided via pump if needed. The bionic pancreas automatically makes a new decision about sugar levels in five-minute intervals.
Users don’t even need to input carbohydrate intake per meal. Instead they should indicate how large their meal size was (“typical” or “more than usual”) and which meal of the day it was.
The device was tested on groups of adults and children where they wore the implanted pumps for five days while being monitored. The results of the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Why a bionic pancreas could benefit a diabetic
The pancreas of a diabetic produces little or no insulin (a hormone needed to regulate blood sugar). So a patient needs to dedicate time and resources to regulate its own. Often this includes pricking a finger throughout the day, reading sugar levels, and then administering insulin.
For more information visit the project website.
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