The gift of sleep is something which we all need no matter what age, what type of lifestyle or indeed any medical conditions we may suffer.  Sleep can be a major problem for some diabetics with the risk of unbalanced blood glucose levels leading to disrupted sleep and in extreme circumstances diabetic hypos. The idea of a more comfortable and a better night sleep will be a godsend to many diabetics and may not be too far away if research by the University of Buffalo proves to be fruitful.

Researchers have been looking at ultrasound as a means of monitoring blood glucose levels and using this system to connect with implanted insulin pumps which will effectively monitor blood glucose levels “real-time” and make the required adjustments. Is this fiction or is this the type of idea which could literally change the life and times of diabetics?

 

Complimenting the Body’s Monitoring System

There is obviously a very complex monitoring system within the human body although diabetes is to all intents and purposes a malfunction of the immune system which can in certain circumstances prove fatal. If scientists are really able to implant additional “nanotechnology style” sensors within the body, which will activate an inbuilt insulin pump, this could have a major impact upon the life of diabetics never mind their sleeping patterns.

The idea of introducing an automatic insulin pump is not new, and research has been ongoing for around 10 years now, but the systems have predominantly used radio waves which do have specific drawbacks. Radio waves find it very difficult to penetrate the skin, muscle and other body tissues and indeed they also create heat which can cause major problems within the body. The idea with regards to ultrasound technology is very simple – the body consists of around 65% water which is the perfect network for ultrasound induced insulin pumps.

 

Is an Ultrasound System Viable?

While on the surface it may seem something of a jump in technology to introduce an ultrasound alert system to the body which will automatically trigger an insulin pump, this is not too far extended from reality. It would use the same type of system which submarines use for radar and doctors use for sonograms. Perhaps the major benefit of this particular technology is the fact it is already there being used under different circumstances and could quite easily be adapted for diabetics, as well as other medical conditions.

It will be interesting to see how quickly this particular technology progresses because scientists in America are now looking to move one step further and create an experimental environment in which the technology can be tested. When you also take into account the latest nanotechnology, these alert systems and insulin pumps could be tiny and effectively slip under the radar of the body’s immune system which would normally reject “foreign entities”.

 

Conclusion

If doctors are able to find some automatic way of regulating blood glucose levels for diabetics this will lead to not only more comfortable sleeping patterns but also a more comfortable way of life. Even though many diabetics have become used to injections and other uncomfortable medication procedures, it would be a godsend to have an automatic system taking in the latest nanotechnology which would effectively take the place of their damaged insulin cells.

This particular technology is still some way off but it does pose the question how far it can be extended and what other medical conditions and procedures could be improved. For some time now doctors have been questioning the relatively slow speed of development in the diabetic treatment industry although, when taking into account new nanotechnology, we could potentially be on the verge of something groundbreaking and life changing.