Dutch inventor’s artificial pancreas giving diabetes patients better life

A Dutch inventor’s artificial pancreas is providing people with type 1 diabetes with better blood sugar levels and a better quality of life, NOS reports based on a study published in The Lancet. Their blood sugar levels remain within the target range for an average of six hours longer per day. Patients also report that the disease impacts their daily lives less.

Robin Koops, a Dutch machine builder with type 1 diabetes, invented the artificial pancreas in his shed. Small-scale tests have previously shown promising results, but this is the first major study with the device, involving 75 people.

Unlike other existing systems that only administer insulin, the artificial pancreas works with both insulin and glucagon. It can prevent blood sugar values from getting too high by administering insulin and stop them from dropping too low with glucagon. “The artificial pancreas has an accelerator and brake pedal,” inventor Koops, whose company Inreda Diabetic produces the device, explained to NOS.

The Diabetes Fund is closely involved in the development and sees the artificial pancreas as an important innovation to improve the quality of life of people with diabetes. Some users of the device even report that some of their diabetes symptoms have disappeared. Koops himself says he has a better field of vision and needs less strong lenses in his glasses. Further research will have to demonstrate whether the artificial pancreas really improves diabetes symptoms.

Koops hopes that the results of this study will encourage more insurers to reimburse the artificial pancreas. Currently, only Mezis and CZ cover the device for a small group of patients.