A Breakthrough for Diabetic Monitors

There's new hope for children with juvenile diabetes and their parents who must closely monitor their disease, particularly overnight.

A new type of system for diabetic children can effectively manage blood-sugar levels better than traditional methods, according to U.K. researchers who published their findings in the medical journal Lancet.

The study by University of Cambridge scientists may spur development of new and improved devices that can eliminate the need for finger pricks and insulin injections for those with juvenile diabetes. The scientists say they tested a new computer algorithm with existing monitoring devices to create an "artificial pancreas" to control blood-sugar levels.

The traditional method of monitoring involves separate devices: one that monitors blood-sugar levels and another that continuously pumps insulin.

Johnson & Johnson, which makes insulin pumps, and closely held DexCom Inc., a maker of glucose-monitoring devices, are working with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to develop and test an artificial pancreas device.

"Our results show that commercially available devices, when coupled with the algorithm we developed, can improve glucose control in children and significantly reduce the risk" of dangerous drops in blood-sugar levels during sleep, says Roman Hovorka, a researcher at the Institute of Metabolic Science at the University of Cambridge.