Researchers at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China have developed a wearable device that brings together a glucose sensor and an insulin micropump in a single unit. According to the team, the prototype paves the way for a fully autonomous mini artificial pancreas, although so far it has only been tested in mice.
Current commercial diabetes systems usually require patients to wear two separate patches, one to monitor glucose and another to deliver the hormone. The new prototype, the size of a coin and controlled by smartphone, combines both functions.
The findings were published on 29 September in the scientific journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering. The authors describe the device as a step towards next-generation diabetes care, a disease that, according to International Diabetes Federation estimates, affects about 589 million adults worldwide.
