Soon, there may be an artificial pancreas in the market
Posted on: 06/Jul/2016 2:50:38 PM
The world’s first artificial pancreas may be soon brought out. Researchers say that it may hit the market by 2018. The artificial pancreas has Benn in development by a team at the University of Cambridge. If successful, it will offer a better way for those with type 1 diabetes to monitor and control their glucose levels without daily injections.
Till now, type 1 diabetes sufferers have had to use two devices to stay healthy: one to test for glucose levels and the other to inject the correct dose of insulin. This new pancreas device combines them into one closed system.
Speaking about this, members of the team of researchers said, In trials to date, users have been positive about how use of an artificial pancreas gave them time off or a holiday from their diabetes management, since the system is managing their blood sugar effectively without the need for constant monitoring by the user.
Reports say that that the device would monitor and adjust a user’s blood sugar levels without them needing a bunch of different equipment to do so. Not only does this allow those with type 1 diabetes to live fuller lives, it also negates the amount of human error, ensuring that the user doesn’t accidentally inject too much or too little insulin.
There will also be the alternative to transplant new beta cells, which are the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, into diabetics.
Researchers found that despite how promising the invention sounds, there are still many hurdles for research to overcome. They also feel that there is a problem of security. This is because an artificial pancreas would basically be a very simple computer, leaving it open for hackers to take advantage of. Says the team, As closed loop devices may be vulnerable to cybersecurity threats such as interference with wireless protocols and unauthorised data retrieval, implementation of secure communications protocols is a must.
