Before the government shut down the FDA, it approved the first artificial pancreas

[EmperorScorpious]

[quote]The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its first "artificial pancreas" to automatically control the insulin levels of diabetics. (You know, before the shutdown furloughed almost half of its staff.)

The hormone insulin controls blood sugar levels and is normally produced in the body by the pancreas. But in Type 1 diabetics (and sometimes Type 2), the pancreas just doesn't make insulin, meaning diabetics' bodies can't regulate blood sugar levels. This system, designed by Minneapolis-based medical tech company Medtronic, is a wearable little gadget that stops insulin delivery automatically when glucose levels get too low, hopefully keeping the wearer from going into a diabetic coma.

Unlike traditional insulin pumps, which require the wearer to still monitor blood sugar levels and manually program the pump to deliver insulin, this one monitors blood sugar for you, and delivers the appropriate amount accordingly. With a traditional pump, the device can keep delivering insulin even when the your blood sugar is too low, lowering levels even further and sometimes causing loss of consciousness. This is especially dangerous during sleep, when you can't exactly gauge your own blood sugar. Medtronic's MiniMed 530G system can detect up to 93 percent of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) episodes, and will sound an alarm to wake you up if your blood sugar gets too low. If you don't respond, the system will shut off insulin delivery for two hours, hopefully staving off dangerously low blood sugar levels.[/quote]

[url]http://www.popsci.com/article/science/fda-has-approved-first-artificial-pancreas?dom=PSC&loc=recent&lnk=1&con=the-fda-has-approved-the-first-artificial-pancreas[/url]

[woolio1]

As a guy with a family history of Type 2 Diabetes (Yes, food is a weakness for many in my family. We're from the South, after all.), this is a great thing. Wonder how long until it goes to market?

[joshjet]

[QUOTE=woolio1;42375581]As a guy with a family history of Type 2 Diabetes (Yes, food is a weakness for many in my family. We're from the South, after all.), this is a great thing. Wonder how long until it goes to market?[/QUOTE]

Type 2 generally means you've developed a resistance to insulin, so adding more can just make it worse.

[Kamwi.003]

I have Chronic Pancreatitus, and I am in constant Pain EVERY SINGLE DAY. If this was more developed, this could absolutely free me from any pain and my 4 times a day reliance on Methadone...

[editline]1st October 2013[/editline]

How the fuck is this funny? Seriously, what the fuck?

[Aj]

[QUOTE=Camwi_003;42375686]I have Chronic Pancreatitus, and I am in constant Pain EVERY SINGLE DAY. If this was more developed, this could absolutely free me from any pain and my 4 times a day reliance on Methadone...

[editline]1st October 2013[/editline]

How the fuck is this funny? Seriously, what the fuck?[/QUOTE]

I gave you a box to put your old pancreas in once you get a new one

[LunchboxOfDoom]

As a pancreas, I disapprove of this. These artificials will steal our jobs.

[Kamwi.003]

[QUOTE=Aj;42376086]I gave you a box to put your old pancreas in once you get a new one[/QUOTE]

That made me smile, thanks.

[TheHydra]

[QUOTE=LunchboxOfDoom;42376178]As a pancreas, I disapprove of this. These artificials will steal our jobs.[/QUOTE]

THANK GOD CONGRESS HAS DONE ITS JOB AND STOPPED THIS "INNOVATION" IN ITS TRACKS BEFORE IT RUNS RAMPANT ON THE ECONOMY