In APL Bioengineering, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Padova, University of Pavia, and Yale University designed a novel algorithm for controlling implanted insulin pumps that accounts for the unique characteristics of individual patients. Their model, tested using an FDA-approved diabetes computer simulation, proves intraperitoneal (within the abdominal cavity) insulin delivery is fast and closely mimics natural physiological insulin delivery.
The current method of automated insulin delivery, which is based on technology called continuous subcutaneous glucose sensors, requires patients to manually enter the number of carbohydrates they consume, announcing their meals to the system before they eat. It is also slow to sense and deliver insulin. These delays, along with the likelihood of errors in manual meal calculations, make the system prone to inaccuracies and increase the prevalence of hyperinsulinemia, a state of high insulin in patients that causes diseases of the large blood vessels.
Using an FDA-accepted simulator designed for continuous subcutaneous insulin delivery, the researchers made modifications to simulate intraperitoneal insulin delivery. They developed a model that can account for individual patient differences and validated a pump control algorithm that does not require meal announcement.
Tying together previous work and current experiments, the researchers successfully showed the similarities between intraperitoneal insulin delivery and the physiology of natural insulin secretion and validated a pump control algorithm that is robust to personalization factors and time variance for breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals.
