“Researchers Developing Artificial Pancreas to Treat Diabetes”

Nov. 3 2008 Jordan Lite

This article from Scientific American provides a basic overview of the current artificial pancreas technology, although it must be noted that the article was written several months ago and therefore the technology may have improved slightly since then. Patients with diabetes must constantly attempt to maintain the right blood sugar level, a difficult and time-consuming job. These patients make little or no insulin, a hormone which is normally produced in the pancreas and which breaks down food into energy. The problem with insulin injections is that they prevent too much sugar from accumulating in the blood, potentially leading to a diabetes-induced coma. Therefore scientists in England and the United States are working on an artificial, iPod-sized pancreas to be worn outside the body. The artificial pancreas consists of two main parts: a continuous glucose monitor and an insulin pump. A computer chip embedded in the insulin pump takes in information about the patient’s blood sugar levels from a glucose monitor which then attaches to the skin. The pump would be worn on a belt or in a pocket and would use the information to inject the necessary amount of insulin through a needle in the belly. This would allow the patient to have the right amount of insulin in her blood without having to manually change the dosage. The projected cost of the technology has not yet been determined, and Bruce Buckingham of Stanford University, where some of the research is occurring, guesses that the device is still five to ten years away from the market. Devices made by the companies Medtronic Diabetes, Abbott Laboratories, and Johnson & Johnson are testing the software. Although the technology is undoubtedly promising, in order to truly be effective it must be provided at a relatively low cost; otherwise, the millions of people who would benefit may not have access. And if universal healthcare is implemented, will the artificial pancreas be provided for? How will the accessibility differ between different age groups? These are the types of questions which must be addressed in order to determine the feasibility of this new technology.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=researchers-developing-artificial-p-2008-11-03