Posted by Alan F. Bachrach, M.D. on November 30, 1997 at 19:50:23:
In Reply to: Re: CYGNUS TEST RESULTS, ehem? excuse me? posted by Sandra Silvestri on November 30, 1997 at 15:09:22:
In my mind, the issue is not invasive versus noninvasive. Short of a "cure", what is needed is a meter that can CONTINUOUSLY monitor glucose levels and adjust the output of a pump accordingly. In this way an "artifical pancreas" could be developed which ought to provide near euglycemia (obviously even nondiabetics do not have a constant glucose level since they too experience postprandial highs and fasting lows - however they are automatically corrected in farily short order by functioning islets cells.) Apparently, in part the problem has been that unless the probe can be placed into a vein or artery accurate results are not possible. Evidently (according to the conversation I had with the Vanderbilt Diabetes Center researcher) blood glucose levels do not appear to be accurately refelected by intersitial fluid (such as that in the subcutaneous tissue where ports for insulin pumps are placed) or transcutaneous measurement (comparable to the measurement of blood oxygen by the commonly used pulse oximeters seen in every ICU/ER in the country). I believe that the development of a continuous glucose monitor is terribly important and should be given high priority for funding whether through governmental, charitable (such as JDF) or private dollars.