"人工胰臟" 仍處於早期研發階段

根據這則影音報導, 美國史丹福大學研發中的 "人工胰臟", 雖仍處初期階段, 已能成功控制第一型糖尿病受測者在夜間的血糖值.


簡單地說, 所謂 "人工胰臟", 就是結合胰島素幫浦與連續血糖監測系統. 首先在人體植入血糖偵測器, 連續不停(即時)地監測血糖值, 並回傳胰島素幫浦的控制系統, 控制幫浦釋出正確的胰島素劑量, 並能在血糖過低時發出警示.


接下來努力的方向, 將是繼續強化控制演算法, 提高精確度, 以及降低"人工胰臟"的體積, 讓一型病友方便配帶這種裝置.







Researchers at RPI are working on an artificial pancreas - potential help to the 3 million Americans with Type 1 diabetes


There's an assortment of items that are the tools people with diabetes use to monitor their blood sugar and get insulin into their bodies. Even an insulin pump can be cumbersome because you still have to prick your finger repeatedly during


Dr. Wayne Bequette, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at RPI is involved in a project that would eliminate that. He's working on the development of an artificial pancreas - one that would both monitor blood sugar and administer insulin - a closed system as it's called. Right now, in the early phase as you can see from this picture, it takes a number of large pieces of equipment that, one day, he hopes will be married into one, small, wearable unit.


"So a single device that you slap on so that maybe even the needle is integrated in the body, like that, rather than having tubing and such."


It's already passed the first testing hurdle - keeping a small number of test patient's blood sugar normal during the night.


"If you're the parents of a child with type 1 diabetes" says Bequette "That's one of the biggest concerns overnight, you don't know what's happening to your child's blood glucose."


"It fills me with great hope" says Dr. Gregg Gerrity, about the work on an artificial pancreas. Dr. Gerrity is both a diabetes patient and as an endocrinologist , treats people with diabetes.


"I'm testing my blood sugar between 6 and 8 times a day, now."


It's imperative blood sugar levels aren't allowed to swing wildly. As Gerrity points out, that can cause an array of health problems including vision loss - heart disease - even death. So, for him -- the work at R-P-I is especially encouraging - even though it may be years before a workable model comes to market.


"You know, I sort of tear up just thinking about that because it's so significant. "


The actual unit is being developed at Stanford University. Dr. Bequette is doing the math that will be used in the computer program.


http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s2166649.shtml?cat=10114