Artificial pancreas to help control diabetes

Matchbox-sized monitor helps keep blood sugar levels normal

LONDON: Scientists have successfully employed an "artificial pancreas" system of pumps and monitors to improve blood sugar control in diabetes patients in the first study to show the new device works better than conventional treatment.

Researchers from Britain's Cambridge University tested the device on 17 children with Type 1 diabetes during a series of nights in hospital and found it kept their blood sugar levels within the important "normal" range 60 percent of the time.