BIONIC PANCREAS
Biomedical engineers at Imperial College London designed an intelligent insulin pump
for diabetes patients. This bio-mimetic approach diverges from today's dominant method
of delivering only insulin using a relatively simple control system. In a small clinical trial
of 10 patients, they have been testing a device controlled by the microchip's cell models
at two London hospitals. The device will infuse both insulin and glucagon by following a
pattern that mimics the unique electrical characteristics of alpha and beta cells. The device
consists of an electrochemical glucose sensor that penetrates the skin, the microchip, and two
small pumps worn on the body, one for each hormone. Every 5 minutes, the sensor detects
the person's glucose level. If the sensor reports a high level of glucose, the silicon beta cell
generates a signal that drives a motor. The motor pushes a syringe, dispensing insulin into
the tissue beneath the skin until the glucose reading at the sensor drops and the beta cell goes
silent.
