Pancreas hope for diabetics

The device, developed by Professor Joan Taylor, from De Montfort University, Leicester, could even put an end to daily injections diabetics have to endure to regulate their glucose levels.

Glucose levels are normally controlled by the hormone insulin, released by the pancreas when required. People with diabetes either do not produce insulin, do not produce enough insulin or the insulin they do produce does not work properly.

The new artificial pancreas, invented and patented by Prof Taylor, is made of a metal casing containing a supply of insulin kept in place by a gel barrier.

When the body's glucose levels rise, the gel barrier starts to liquefy and lets insulin out. As the insulin lowers the glucose level in the body, the gel reacts by hardening again and stopping the supply.

Clinical trials could be carried out within the next few years, Prof Taylor said, and if successful the device could be available in five to 10 years.