A "pancreatic tooth" design best accommodates the limitations of current artificial pancreas technology

Inadequately responsive glycaemic control is an important factor in the causation of diabetic end-organ damage. Artificial or hybrid bioartificial pancreases can provide responsive glycaemic control that can reduce the enormous personal suffering and socio-economic costs of diabetes. However, they share the shortcomings of limited operational life, due to depletion of stores or failure of component parts. A pancreatic tooth design provides accessibility for the purposes of replenishment or replacement. In addition, the mouth also provides a sheltered location, is more resistant to diabetic changes and less prone to thermoregulatory changes than subcutaneous tissues, and is adapted to cope with the occasional pathogen load. The device would consist of two parts: a permanent implant with an angiogenic capillary plexus that is the blood contacting interface and a crown containing the artificial or bio-artificial pancreatic systems: the accessibility of which confers ease of replenishment and replacement, among other advantages.