Artificial pancreas 'could aid' diabetics
Some children have to inject insulin up to six times a day
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Monday, 06, Nov 2006 10:23
An artificial pancreas for children and juveniles could create a healthier and less complicated method of controlling type one diabetes, scientists claim today.
Although there has been research into artificial pancreases for adults, the latest study conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge is the first in the UK to investigate the viability of a device for children.
Type one diabetes, or juvenile diabetes, causes the body to attack the beta cells of the pancreas, preventing it from properly producing the insulin necessary to regulate the blood sugar levels.
At present people with the condition have to manually test their blood sugar levels with a glucose meter, in which the blood sample is taken by pricking the skin. The necessary amount of insulin is injected up to six times a day either by using an insulin pump or syringes.
As well as being cumbersome and imprecise, this process is said to be particularly tricky in young people as they are known to have more severe fluctuations in their insulin need.
The new device is argued to make monitoring and treating the condition far easier to manage.
A glucose sensor is coupled with an insulin pump to create a 'closed loop apparatus'. The artificial pancreas can then measure blood sugar levels on a minute-to-minute basis with a continuous glucose monitor.
A signal with the information is then transmitted wirelessly to a handheld computer, which calculates the right amount of insulin for the individual's condition. This information is then passed wirelessly to an insulin pump delivering the insulin.
Clinical trials of the artificial pancreas, which has received £500,000 funding from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), are scheduled to begin in January.
Dr Roman Hovorka of the university's department of paediatrics said that the artificial pancreas would enable juveniles to "maintain healthier, more stable blood sugar levels".
"Insulin needs to be more accurately released to attain near-normal levels of blood glucose and to reduce the risk of dangerous low blood glucose levels - the greatest fear for parents of diabetics as it can result in hospitalisation, coma, and (rarely) permanent brain damage or death if not treated in timely manner," he said.
Cathy Moulton, care advisor at Diabetes UK said that the device is "very exciting".
"Many people with diabetes, including children, are already successfully using external insulin pump therapy, which is designed to remove the need for a daily series of injections," she said.
"It is a very exciting idea that one day an artificial pancreas, which would be a combination of a continuous glucose sensor and an insulin pump, could be developed to automatically regulate a person's blood glucose levels."