Artificial Pancreas owais February 2, 2016 Introduction Normal physical activity for poeple of all ages is associated with well estab- lished health benifits like better bone health, cardiovascular fitness, enhanoed, physiological well being etc, but the people living with a disease called Diabetes finds it extremely difficult. to engage themselves in such activities. Diabetes is, ‘a metabolic disease that affects many different parts of the body. A condition when a body is unable produce insulin itsaf is termed as Type 1 diabetes}. Insilin is a hormone, a chemical messenger that. is transported in the blood and regulates important body fimetions Without insulin our body cannot get the anergy it noeds from the food we have eaten. This vital hormone is usually produced in the pancreas and released into the bloodstream. Here it enables the sugar (ghicose) in our food and drink to be transported into our cells and converted into energy for our bodies. Another vital hormone which is also se- ted by the pancreas and werks opposite to that of insulin is called glucagon whch converts the excess sugar into glucose preventing the blood sugar level to go too low, In a patient with type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks and kills the insulin-secreting cells, causing, an increase in blood siu- cose (hyperglycemia) ; as years pass, the ghucagpnsecteting calls also tend to fail. So people with type 1 diabetes became prone to occasicnal but dangerous, episodes of extremely low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). When a patient’s blood sugar goes too high, insulin is given to the patient to bring his/her blood sugar back to a nonmal leve. To prevent a patient's blood sugar frem going too low, the pationt is given glucagon which raises the pationt’s blood sugar. Periods of low blood sugar can severely damage the brain due to an inadequate supply of lucose to the brain and longterm effects of high blood glucose include disease of the eyes, kidneys and nerves/fect. Cument, methods of maintaining proper lucose levels in pationts with diabetes involves periodic monitoring, cf blood sugar using off-theshdf blood ghuicose monitoring, sensors and then subsequent Aaivery of insulin via either multiple neodlle injectiens throughout. the day or altematively through the use of an insulin pump, by smartly antomating this process we can help the patients in living a betterSignificance Diabetes & a big duallenge before the global society today. Tackling with this disease is one of the major health challenges of our time in Tndia and globally. Almost 300 million [3] people workiwide have diabetes, induding almost half a ruillion children under the age of 14 years and the rumber is growing rapidly. It is estimated by” 2080 almost half a billin people will be living with diabetes, In India over 30 million have now been diagnosed with Diabetes. The spread of dea in the urban areas of India is thought to be 9 percent. Tn rural areas, the prevalence is appreximatdy 3 percent of the total population. This means that India actually has the highest mmber diabetics of any’ one country in the entire world, Diabetes is also beginning to appear mich ealier in life in India, ‘which means Iongeterm complications are becoming mare common. Diabetes is, also castly to health care systems. People with diabetes use more medications, have higher chances of being hespitalized, and are more likely to require emer gency and long-term care than peopke without the disease, The global health, expenditure on diabetes is expected to total at least USD 376 billion in 2010 and USD 490 billion in 2080. Diabetes imposes an increasing ecanomic burden on national health care systems worldwide, In the USA, diabetes costs have been estimated at 97% [1]of household expenditure for low-income families. For the poorest: Indian families, this figrme increases to approximately 25% [lof houschald expenditure, Since the prevalence and cost of maintaining shart and, Jongeterm complications of the disease are very high in both developed and de= veloping countries, efforts from time to time are made to control the disease in an efficient way. This paper descaibes how we can take some burden off the par tient by antomating the process of regular monitoring and subsequent infusion of insulin into the body, which will hep in restricting the blood glucose to the significant levels. References [1] Biork, S., Karur, A., KING, H., Na, J, AND RAMACHANDRA, A. Global palicy: aspects of diabetes in india, Health Policy 66, 1 (2008), 61 = 2 [2] Daxexan, D. Type I diabetes. The Lanoct 967, 9513 (2006), 817-858. [3] Zane, P., ZHANG, X., BROWN, J., VISTIBEN, D., SICREE, R., SHAW, J, AND Nicuors, G. Global healthcare expenditure on diabetes for 2010 and 2030. Diabetes Research and Clinioal Practice 87, 3 (ZP1P), 293-301.