Smart Insulin Patch Releases on Command

Jun-24-15 A penny-sized “smart insulin patch” able to monitor blood sugar and release insulin as needed could replace the need for conventional injections.

Developed by teams from two North Carolina universities, the patch is embedded with more than a hundred microneedles that contain microscopic sacs of insulin and glucose-sensing enzymes. When the enzymes detect that sugar levels have risen too high, the insulin will be released into the bloodstream.

The design was based on the body’s own beta cells, which produce insulin—storing it in tiny sacs called vesicles—and sense when the insulin needs to be released.

Image: Zhen Gu, PhD
An up-close fluorescent image of the microneedle patch with insulin tagged in green.

More Info about this Invention:

[GIZMAG.COM]
[NEWS.UNCHEALTHCARE.ORG]

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