A Benchtop Closed-loop System Controlled by a Bio-Inspired Silicon Implementation of the Pancreatic β Cell

摘要

The normal pancreatic β-cell membrane depolarizes in response to increasing concentrations of glucose in a bursting pattern. At <7 mM (126 mg/dl), the cell is electrically silent. The bursting pulse width increases as glucose rises >7 mM (126 mg/dl) until a continuous train of bursting is seen at >25 mM (450 mg/dl). A bio-inspired silicon device has been developed using analogue electronics to implement membrane depolarization of the β cell. The device is ultralow powered, miniaturized (5 × 5 mm), and produces a bursting output identical to that characterized in electrophysiological studies.ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to demonstrate the ability of silicon implementation of β-cell electrophysiology to respond to a simulated glucose input and to drive an infusion pump in vitro.