The artificial pancreas (AP) is making headway as it prepares for two clinical trials that will test the accuracy and safety of the system for future patients living with type 1 diabetes. The AP system aims to monitor blood glucose levels, automatically adjust insulin doses accordingly, administer glucagon to treat hypoglycemia, and anticipate both low and high blood sugars. Two universities, the University of Virginia and Harvard University, will be conducting the studies, hoping to “build on advances in 2015 that found algorithms written for the system could effectively monitor and maintain levels,” explains the United Press International. The significance of the AP is that it is a closed-loop computer system, meaning it’s designed to function fully on its own with requiring the patient to make adjustments or respond specifically to blood sugar events. Examples of an open-loop system are what we know today as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. “The idea is that […]
