WebMD Medical News Louise Chang, MD July 1, 2011 (San Diego) --
Spurred on by diabetes advocates and lawmakers, researchers
report continued progress toward the development of an
artificial pancreas for people with type 1 diabetes. It's
probably not the first time you've heard that. For more than
three decades, researchers have been tying, without success, to
develop an artificial pancreas. If its name brings to mind a
man-made organ to be transplanted into the patient's body, think
again. The artificial pancreas is actually an automated, closed-
loop system consisting of a continuous glucose monitor, an
insulin infusion pump, and a glucose meter for calibrating the
monitor. The goal is to develop an implantable system in which
computer software monitors blood sugar levels, senses when the
body needs insulin, calculates the dose needed, and delivers it
without a person even being aware of what's happening, says
Stuart Weinzimer, MD, an associate professor of pediatric
endocrinology at Yale University. The panc