WIRED Staff

'Artificial Pancreas' Offers Hope for Diabetics

British researchers are touting an "artificial pancreas" device that takes insulin pumps to a higher level. According to the BBC: Many diabetics already use an insulin pump – a small device worn outside the body that pumps insulin into the body through a thin tube under the skin – to remove the need for a […]

British researchers are touting an "artificial pancreas" device that takes insulin pumps to a higher level.

According to the BBC:

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Many diabetics already use an insulin pump - a small device worn outside the body that pumps insulin into the body through a thin tube under the skin - to remove the need for a daily series of injections.

But they still have to test their blood many times each day to measure their blood glucose.

These finger prick tests only give a snap shot of blood glucose.

In comparison, continuous glucose sensors, the size of a credit card and worn on the skin, read glucose levels on a minute-by-minute basis using a small sensor that is inserted under the skin.

The story doesn't include any skeptical voices. I'm wondering how much the device would cost and whether calling it an "artificial pancreas" is more of a marketing strategy than reality.