A wearable closed-loop insulin micropump toward a miniaturized artificial pancreas for diabetes

Researchers at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China reported an open-access study describing a wearable, closed-loop insulin micropump intended as a step toward a smaller artificial pancreas. The device combines two functions that are often physically separated in current automated insulin delivery systems: glucose sensing and insulin delivery. It uses an optical glucose-responsive microneedle sensor alongside an electrochemical micropump that delivers microliter-scale insulin doses.

The technical problem the authors are trying to solve is that existing insulin pumps can be bulky, mechanically complex, and uncomfortable for some users. Their prototype replaces conventional mechanical pumping with electrolysis-gas-driven actuation, using a semi-dry electrode design, porous nickel foam, a latex membrane, and sealed microchambers. The glucose sensor uses a PVP/PVA hydrogel microneedle array functionalized with 9-anthracene boronic acid, producing fluorescence changes that can be read by an integrated color sensor across a reported 0-600 mg/dL detection range.

In testing, the platform showed programmable delivery kinetics and biocompatibility in laboratory and animal experiments. In type 1 diabetic mouse models, a smartphone-controlled system suppressed post-meal glucose spikes and reportedly kept glycemic fluctuations within 25 mg/dL. This is still preclinical engineering research, so it is not evidence that the device is ready for patients, but it is a notable diabetes-technology study because it addresses miniaturization, integrated sensing, and automated insulin delivery in one platform.