The system works by attaching a smartphone-sized device to the belly of a patient to monitor blood sugar levels. Readings are transmitted to a control gadget attached to clothing, which is linked to an insulin pump to administer the correct dose through the skin.
Insulin requirements vary dramatically between and even within individuals. On one day a person could use a third of their normal requirements and on another, three times what they would normally use.
Developers say the artificial pancreas could also be used by people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
"Closed-loop technologies are ... destined to provide a viable alternative for existing insulin pump therapy and multiple daily insulin injections," Dr Hovorka and Dr Thabit concluded.
The US Food and Drug Administration is reviewing one of the proposed artificial pancreas models, with approval possible as early as 2017. The UK equivalent authority, the National Institute of Health Research, has said the device could appear on the market by 2018.
However, some challenges still need to be resolved in the artificial pancreas, including addressing the time it takes for the insulin to take effect. Some fast-acting insulin took up to two hours after injection to reach peak levels in the bloodstream, which is not ideal for people participating in vigorous exercise.
The number of adults with diabetes has quadrupled worldwide in under four decades to 422 million, according to the World Health Organisation.
More than 100,000 Australians have developed diabetes in the past year, according to Diabetes Australia, which estimates 1.7 million Australians are living with diabetes. --
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