Researchers May Soon Mass-Produce Effective Artificial Pancreas

Researchers are one step closer to finally mass-produce effective artificial pancreas. This will greatly benefit type 1 diabetics who find it hard to maintain their blood glucose levels because of their inability to produce insulin.

Low insulin levels can lead to nerve and organ damage, seizures, and even death. Current health practice to maintain health involves a continuous glucose monitor under the skin, an insulin pump that is wearable, and dangerous works of trial and error.

According to Scientific American, this is because the monitor and pumps do not exactly work in tandem. Researchers are trying to solve this predicament by creating artificial pancreas, which can effectively figure out how much insulin the body needs and deliver the necessary amount in real time.

Kelly Dunkling Reilly, a registered nurse and a certified diabetes educator, told Scientific American that recent trials had finally helped her work with patients and exercise without the fear of hypoglycemia.

According to CNN, the artificial pancreas has been in development for decades, but researchers are finally moving toward the final stage of their research.

For instance, medical device maker Medtronic has received an approval from the Food and Drug Administration last September for a "hybrid closed loop." This is an insulin pump that analyzes data from a glucose monitor and actively adjusts insulin rates. Users would need to input insulin doses to account for meals, but tests show the system is reliable.

A 240 patient-strong trial across the U.S. and Europe led by researchers from the University of Virginia and Harvard University will test a new system that integrates the pump, a continuous monitor, and a smartphone. The smartphone will analyze blood sugar readings and instruct the pump to release the appropriate insulin.

Scientists from Boston-based Beta Bionics' iLet artificial pancreas is one step closer to deliver such a system for real. Its iLet device administers  both insulin and glucagon, the hormone that raises blood sugar. Data from a continuous monitor will determine which hormone to release and how much. They hope to have clinical trials mid-2017, with an insulin-only version to receive approval as early as 2018.