Artificial pancreas could transform treatment of diabetes

The collaborators are working on an application that will allow a continuous glucose meter (CGM) to autonomously communicate with a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth and then link to an insulin pump – creating an artificial pancreas that can be worn by people with type 1 diabetes at home without nurse supervision. The CGM will monitor a patient's glucose levels every one to five minutes, with the information generated passed on to a connected smartphone or tablet that will calculate the amount of insulin the patient needs to keep their glucose at a steady level 24/7. The recommended dosage will then be automatically delivered to the patient via the pump worn under their clothing. "Researchers in my field have been working on a number of different algorithms for an artificial pancreas but, with the help of Cambridge Consultants, I hope to create a system that is convenient to use and can be remotely monitored," said Dr Roman Hovorka, who is leading the hospital's research. "We hope to make a huge breakthrough in the day to day control of this incurable condition." Rob Milner, technical leader of the smart systems team at Cambridge Consultants, added: "There's been a huge surge in health and fitness mobile apps in recent years and we're now looking to take Dr Hovorka's research to the next level. Our mission is to create technology that helps people with type 1 diabetes better manage the condition they have to live with every day."