The Artificial Pancreas

Nearly 20 million people in America have the disease diabetes, 10 percent of which are children, regrettably nearly 7 million Americans are unaware they have the disease and have yet to be diagnosed. The cause of diabetes is unknown and treatment and research advancements are ongoing. Medical researchers are confident that one day the disease will be better understood and thus eradicated, but for now no cure is predictably in sight.

Diabetes is a disease inhibits the body's ability to produce insulin, a hormone used to convert sugar, starches and other high energy foods. With this condition patients must adopt and practice strict eating habit, eating a healthy diet proves the best way to control blood sugar levels and the complications that can arise with diabetes like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, to name a few.

Patients must take steps to stave off a build up of glucose, which can be seriously dangerous, they may also suffer a fluctuation in high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and low blood sugar (Hypoglycemia), if these steps are not taken. With these serious concerns patients are always tethered to their disease, it factors into every aspect of life, work, play, even vacations have to be planned wit diabetic care in mind. Soon, diabetic sufferers will be offered an option for freedom that was never before imagined, to go through a day not having to worry about checking your blood sugar level, it will be a great burden lifted especially for the many young children living with diabetes.

Researchers have been developing a device that could bring relief to the multitude of people nationwide who suffer with this disease, It's called the Artificial Pancreas, still in the early stages of development, it looks extremely promising. Operating on two existing technologies already being used by diabetic patients, a glucose monitor and an insulin pump. With the addition of a new computer chip the Artificial pancreases will automatically deliver insulin when needed without the assistance of the patient. Freeing the patient from the having to constantly monitor and adjust for blood sugar levels. Those with diabetes have to factor in what you are eating and how active you will be and figure out whether you will need to take insulin.

While not being a cure for Diabetes, it will prove to be a great step forward in finding an better way to manage the disease, and enhance the hopes of one day, in the future, conquering the disease altogether. Researchers admit the technology has yet to be perfected and real world trials will need to be done, to make the device usable to the public. Guess estimates say that a reasonable schedule of 5 to 10 years before the device will be ready for patients.