In the NOS Radio 1 News explains Harold De Valk, lead researcher UMC Utrecht states that people with type 1 diabetes have a lot of trouble keeping their blood sugar levels at the right level. There are about 100,000 patients with type 1 diabetes in the Netherlands.
Major investigation
Under the leadership of the UMC Utrecht, twelve hospitals will test the functioning of the artificial pancreas in a large clinical study in which 240 adult patients will participate. The National Health Care Institute and ZonMw have jointly made a subsidy of 10 million euros available. The kunstalvleesklier consists of a glucose meter and a pump. The glucose meter continuously measures the sugar value. If it is too high, the pump will deliver insulin. If the sugar value is too low, the pump releases glucagon. Both of these hormones regulate blood sugar levels.
Refrigerator size
A short study has already been carried out in which a small group of thirty patients participated. Some of them did not actually want to return the artificial pancreas after the study was completed, says a spokesperson for the UMC Utrecht, because they had never felt so good before. This extensive follow-up study aims to answer the question of whether the artificial pancreas provides better care for type 1 diabetes patients who do not have their sugar levels properly controlled.
If the device works properly, patients will still have type 1 diabetes, but they will be less affected. Inventor Koops has worked for years on the artificial pancreas. To be first prototype was the size of a refrigerator. The artificial pancreas is now about the size of two smartphones stacked together.
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