"Bionic Pancreas" Gives Diabetics Hope

If you are diabetic or love someone who is, a breakthrough has surfaced that within a few short years can help diabetics of both types live a normal life, and go to sleep without fear that they slip into a coma or something equally horrific. The entire article is mostly focused on Elle, a 12-year-old who was desperate to try the "bionic pancreas" and have a day off from her disease.

Elle was selected to try out an experimental device called an artificial or "bionic" pancreas. During the three-day study, Elle didn't have to poke her finger every few hours to find out her blood sugar level because the "bionic" pancreas recorded it automatically and adjusted her insulin accordingly.

Shaheen didn't have to set her alarm to wake up every three hours at night because the device was designed to catch a dangerously high or low blood sugar and treat it.

"For the first time since she was diagnosed, I didn't have to worry," says Shaheen, who lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Medical device companies are racing to be the first to market an artificial pancreas, which takes over the work of the diabetic's malfunctioning organ. The device could potentially be used for Type 1 diabetics or Type 2 diabetics who use insulin.

"It's transformative technology," says Aaron Kowalski, assistant vice president for treatment therapies research at JDRF, a research foundation for juvenile diabetes.

JDRF is funding artificial pancreas trials at 13 sites worldwide, including Yale University, Stanford University, the University of Virginia and the University of Colorado. Device companies also are funding several other studies.

The artificial pancreas not only pumps insulin as necessary, it learns the patient's response so it gives just the right amount, self-adjusting every few minutes.  It also can release sugar, in case there is ever too much insulin or unexpected activity.  They expect a working model in approximately four years.  It can't come to soon.