A new artificial pancreas system will soon be trialed for type 1 diabetics. Developed at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, the artificial pancreas consists of a continuous glucose monitor, an insulin pump, and a controller that links the two and decides when and how much insulin to administer. The controller is a smartphone that displays glucose readings and what the pump is doing. It also connects to a remote server to upload data for others to be able to monitor the patient and provide clinical advice.
More about the upcoming trials according to the UVA announcement:
Two trials are planned as part of the NIH-funded study. In the first study, 240 patients with type 1 diabetes will test the safety and effectiveness of the artificial pancreas for six months while going about their regular daily routines. The artificial pancreas will be compared with a standard insulin pump on two key measures: how well blood-sugar levels are controlled and whether the risk of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is reduced.
A second trial will follow 180 patients who completed the first study for an additional six months to test the Harvard University-developed algorithm and determine whether it further enhances blood sugar control.
