ANKARA
U.S. scientists have developed an insulin-secreting patch that automatically regulates insulin levels.
According to the research published in the science magazine “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”, the coin-sized “smart band” uses more than 100 needles -- as thin as eyelashes and sensible to glucose enzymes -- to detect blood glucose levels and release doses of insulin whenever needed.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina and NC State University conducted mice experiments, which revealed that the band regulates blood glucose levels of type-1 diabetic animals up to nine hours. The band is painless and easy to apply, an advantage over the traditional insulin injection using syringes and needles.
More research must be carried out before the band is safe for human use but studies are promising, scientists say.
