Medical Technology Biomedicine Curing Illness

Gizmos & Gadgets: Insulin Smart Patch Replaces Finger Pricks and Shots for Diabetics

January 23, 2017

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January 23, 2017 – On January 4th an article entitled, “H2O2-Responsive Vesicles Integrated with Transcutaneous Patches for Glucose-Mediated Insulin Delivery“ appeared in ACSNano, a journal published by the American Chemical Society. What is described is a “self-regulated ‘smart’ insulin administration system” that replaces the daily routine of diabetics, the needle prick, the blood glucose readout, and administration of insulin injections.

The patch is described as a “transcutaneous microneedle-array” which provides painless administration of insulin based on a continuous read of blood sugar levels. When the patch’s sensors note a rise in blood sugar, the microneedles containing insulin release the right amount of the hormone through the skin. Compared to conventional treatment of the two types of diabetes, Type-1 (people who don’t make insulin) and Type-2 (people who can’t use insulin effectively), the wearer never experiences insulin highs or lows caused by spiking blood sugar levels.

Insulin pumps already exist and researchers have been experimenting with transcutaneous patches for administering drugs. The insulin pumps, however, have been designed to provide a continuous delivery of the hormone without the ability to monitor blood sugar levels. With a micro-needle smart patch the glucose sensing ability means insulin is only delivered when the body needs it. Developed using diabetic mice models, the microneedles, made from a polymer containing glucose oxidase, react in the presence of detected glucose. This is the trigger that causes them to biodegrade and upon disintegration releases the insulin.

This research is a multi-institute and multi-country achievement, with collaboration done by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry.