JDRF Joins with Animas & DexCom to Build “First-Generation” Artificial Pancreas

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Permalink Reply by Doris D on January 13, 2010 at 9:04am

WOW! That sounds great! Just skimmed threw it.

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Permalink Reply by Lorraine on January 13, 2010 at 9:05am

Just used the Twitter button to tweet this! This is an interesting step forward. Amy and Kerri have great posts about this news and answer several of the questions that I had. Thanks to you all!

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on January 13, 2010 at 11:00am

I am hugely skeptical. I think that this may happen, but we are a long way from having a device that can decide insulin dosing.

Imagine that you take a medicine that could be fatal within hours if misdosed. How confident do you need to be in the accuracy of that machine to hand over your decisions?

While I think that it is good that this research is going on, I'm more excited by research towards a cure than towards an artificial pancreas.

Sorry to be rain on a parade, but...

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on January 13, 2010 at 12:05pm

Afraid I'm skeptical also. Call me a control freak, but I wouldn't trust any device not to malfunction. CGMs need to improve greatly to be accurate enough to determine levels for dispensing insulin, not to mention the other potential problems of a system like this. In theory it sounds great.

Considering what pumps & pump supplies cost, can't imagine how out of reach expensive an artificial pancreas will be for most people.

My vote would be towards funds for a cure, not devices.

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Permalink Reply by nel on January 13, 2010 at 7:59pm

Helmut : really , something new I learned today in that case ? ..I understand : interstional fluid results are not same as blood glucose results as in finger pokes and lab results .

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on January 13, 2010 at 8:24pm

Helmut,

Thanks. That's encouraging.

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on January 13, 2010 at 9:55pm

I didn't realize this either. That changes a lot!

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Permalink Reply by Helmut on January 14, 2010 at 4:48am

Gerri, DexCom has a sensor for the clinical environment that does not need calibration and does not need verification with finger pricks because it is more accurate than bg strips.

P.S.: I edited a typo in my previous post. This sensor does NOT need calibration.

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on January 14, 2010 at 1:14pm

Helmut, do you know why they aren't using this technology in their CGMS?? Is it still in the trial phase??

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Permalink Reply by Holger Schmeken on January 14, 2010 at 1:41pm

It may be more accurate than bg strips so it will not need calibration - which is great. Still it will only measure in the interstional fluid. Thus it will be 15 minutes behind and this is to slow for an artificial pancreas.

What I found interesting is that the closed loop in a healthy body does not only involve BG measurements and insulin production. Japanese scientists revealed that the hormone Orexin is emitted when high carbohydrate intake is about to happen. This hormone orders the muscles to consume glucose and this compensates for the slower response of the insulin producing cells. Here the body has invented a mechnism to manage the fact that the insulin is coming slower as needed. A mechanism that is not available for the artificial pancreas unless they decide to inject Orexin too.

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on January 14, 2010 at 2:04pm

and Amylin and c-peptide...

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on January 14, 2010 at 5:11pm

Amylin & C-peptide. Why haven't they been added to insulin!

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