Artificial pancreas

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The artificial pancreas is a promising technology under develoment for the insulin replacement therapy for treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Many people with Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile or insulin dependant diabetes, manage their blood glucose levels through the use of an insulin pump. The pump is connected to the body with an infusion set which allows a person to infuse precise amounts (compared to a syringe) of insulin under the skin. The insulin pump is paired together with a glucose meter to determine how much insulin should be administered.

Scientists have been able to develop a continuous blood glucose monitor that is attached to the body, which monitors a body's blood sugar levels minute by minute to alarm a person of dangerously high or low gluocose levels. Until recently, glucose meters have been independent from insulin pumps. When the two are put together as a closed loop system where the glucose monitor alerts the insulin pump of high or low glucose levels and administers the proper amount of insulin, an artificial pancreas is created JDRF Artificial Pancreas Project.

Prototypes of artificial pancreas have three main components, all of which have to work perfectly in sync:

1. a sensor that continually monitors blood or tissue sugar levels,
2. an insulin infusion pump,
3. and a computer algorithm that controls the delivery of insulin minute by minute based on measured blood sugar.

The promise of a closed loop system is to potentially control blood glucose levels to tight targets that support the prevention of long term complications. This may apply:

• initially for patients whose glycemic control is poor as evident by A1C test results, and
• ultimately for all insulin dependant persons whose glycemic control could approach normal as the technology improves.