What is a closed-loop insulin delivery system?
In people who do not have diabetes, their insulin delivery is within a closed-loop system. This means that insulin delivery is automatically regulated based on need. The cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin (the beta cells) are little computers that read the blood glucose level continuously and secrete insulin as needed to maintain blood glucose levels in the normal range. It’s the same idea as with a thermostat on the wall. It reads the ambient temperature continuously and depending on the particular system, can heat or cool the air as needed to maintain the temperature within a very narrow range. These are closed-loop systems. In contrast, an open-loop system doesn’t do things automatically to maintain the status quo. Someone needs to manually “close the loop.” With respect to room temperature, it would be necessary to check the temperature and manually adjust the temperature up or down as needed. With respect to diabetes, the standard approach uses an open-loop system approach
