Pathology diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered a very common ailment associated with a violation of the endocrine system. The disease not only entails changes in carbohydrate metabolism, but is also fraught with serious complications. Also, diabetes mellitus is among the factors that provoke the development of chronic heart pathologies. As you know, heart failure is a rather dangerous disease. Often it is heart failure that leads to disability and a decrease in the quality of life.
Diabetes mellitus develops due to insufficiency of the endocrine part of the pancreas or a decrease in tissue resistance. As a result, insulin ceases to be produced and enter the bloodstream. This hormone is needed for the exchange of carbohydrates, in particular glucose.
The greatest danger to health is the 1st type of diabetes mellitus, characterized by impaired insulin production. Most often, it manifests itself at an early age (adolescence), therefore, quickly leads to damage to nervous tissue, vascular endothelium, nephro- and retinopathy.
Over the past years, information has been increasingly appearing on the development of such an invention as artificial pancreas. According to scientists, such a device will significantly facilitate the existence of patients with diabetes.
What is an artificial pancreas?
The pancreas belongs to the digestive system. Its main purpose is the production of enzymes necessary for the assimilation of food in the intestine. In addition, the pancreas has an endocrine part. It produces hormones - glucagon, somatostatin, insulin. If the production of the latter is disturbed, type 1 diabetes develops . An artificial pancreas is a device through which the production of insulin in the blood should be carried out. This device is a built-in mechanism that performs the function of a damaged organ.
The mechanism of action of a pancreatic substitute
The artificial pancreas apparatus consists of two related mechanisms. The first is an insulin pump. It was invented earlier and made life easier for patients with diabetes. This device is a reservoir that contains short- acting insulin .
As you know, patients with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus are forced to constantly count the amount of carbohydrates eaten and inject the hormone subcutaneously before each meal. To avoid this, an insulin pump was made. It contains a sufficient amount of insulin, which enters the blood on its own, that is, without injection. In addition, the drug contained in the pump lasts for several days.
The second mechanism that is part of an artificial “organ” is a glucometer. Unlike an insulin pump, this device is not implanted under the patient’s skin. It is necessary to monitor blood glucose levels. Both described mechanisms were invented previously. The difference between this device is that these 2 devices are connected in it. In addition, it works offline. When using an insulin pump, the patient is required to constantly enter the measured glucose value and calculate the dose of the drug administered. An artificial pancreas can help relieve patients of this responsibility.
A feature of the invention is that the monitoring system communicates directly with the insulin pump. This mechanism is called the “closed loop system”. In order for the device to work properly, it is controlled by an experienced specialist who has the ability to monitor the operation of the device remotely. Thanks to this invention, the lives of patients suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus will not differ from healthy people. After all, the invention is able to completely restore the work of a damaged organ.
Functions of the Artificial Pancreas
The main purpose of the invented "organ" is considered to be the control of carbohydrate metabolism. Normally, the hormone insulin performs this function. In type 1 diabetes, this biologically active substance is not produced by the pancreas. Therefore, the hormone must be introduced into the blood from the outside. To bring patients' lives closer to a normal existence, an artificial organ was invented. The main functions of the device include:
- Continuous monitoring of blood sugar. Measurement is carried out autonomously every 5 minutes.
- The introduction of short-acting insulin from the pump with hyperglycemia. The intake of the hormone in the blood should be carried out constantly, in particular when eating food and performing physical exertion.
- Continuous monitoring of the device for the combined operation of the glucometer and insulin pump.
Also, the functions of the apparatus should include a reduction in the risk of developing complications of diabetes mellitus and an improvement in the quality of life of patients.
The history of the creation of artificial pancreas: development of the invention
Considering how quickly changes in medicine take place for the better, one should not be surprised that such a device should soon appear that can completely change the lives of patients suffering from insulin-dependent diabetes. Unfortunately, despite the development of transplantology, it is almost impossible to solve the problem by replacing a diseased organ with a healthy pancreas. Nevertheless, by 2014, it became known about the development of a device capable of establishing a carbohydrate metabolism without risky surgery. At this time, scientists for the first time announced the possibility of creating an apparatus that can replace the pancreas. Research is underway in many countries. According to the developers of miracle technology, artificial pancreas will be used as early as 2018. If the doctors’ calculations are correct, then diabetes will soon cease to be one of the formidable diseases, which it is still considered to be.
Clinical trials of the invention
Over the course of two years, major scientific research has been carried out, which allows in the near future to put into practice such a device as artificial pancreas. The device will appear, according to scientists at the University of Virginia, in 2018. The first large-scale clinical trial was aimed at testing a device operating on the principle of "closed loop". Currently, an assessment of the effectiveness of the device.
Reviews of scientists and doctors about the invention
Scientists of many advanced institutes of diabetology are engaged in the study and development of a miracle of technology. According to doctors, the device will be one of the great achievements in the field of medicine.