Delivrer Project (2007-2010)

DELIVRER is a multidisciplinary project, involving laboratories (chemistry, biology, bio- & microelectronics and medicine) of the Universities of Bordeaux, and focusing on the development of a closed-loop system controlling insulin delivery. In vivo, insulin secretion is coupled to the electrical activity of pancreatic beta cells in response to changes of blood glucose concentration. Thus, insulin exocytosis is linked to beta cell membrane depolarization which can be modulated by endocrine and neuronal signals. In patients displaying type I diabetes, defect in insulin secretion is compensated by daily hormone injections.
The aim of the project is to record and analyze the electrical activity of pancreatic beta cells maintained in long-term culture on microelectrode arrays in order to generate a closed-loop controlling insulin exocytosis. Processing of the electrophysiological signals will be used to assess online changes in the ambient glucose concentration and to retrocontrol beta cells.

The ISN group in IMS is in charge of developing a custom hardware/software instrument for the closed-loop:
• analog/digital ASICS to process the beta cells activity, and to evaluate on-line the glucose concentration;
• digital hardware and software elements for the feedback insulin control