US Pharm. 2015;40(7):26.
Chapel Hill, NC—An invention by scientists at the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State might take the sting out of diabetes injections: a smart patch that detects increases in blood sugar levels and automatically secretes insulin doses into the bloodstream. No larger than a penny, the patch is covered with more than 100 small needles housing microscopic insulin and glucose-sensing enzyme storage units. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the patch lowered blood glucose in a mouse for 9 hours. Before the patch can be used in humans, clinical trials are needed. Said co–senior study author Zhen Gu, PhD, the patch “works fast, is easy to use, and is made from nontoxic, biocompatible materials.”
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