Short-term control of brittle diabetes using a biostator

Abstract

The Biostator (Miles Laboratories Ltd) is a machine which continuously samples venous blood, measures the blood glucose concentration, and then infuses either insulin or glucose intravenously. The rate of infusion is determined by an algorithm stored in the machine's computer. The authors report the first use of this machine to control brittle diabetes (as defined by Pickup et al) in the medical ward of a district general hospital. They have shown that the Biostator can be used on a general medical ward to control brittle diabetes in the short term. Major advantages for the patient were the abolition of hypoglycaemia and the freedom from fingerprick blood samples, which allowed regular sleep. The absence of hypoglycaemia may have contributed to the improved diabetic stability when conventional insulin infusions were restarted.