Needle-free diabetes pump tested

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Patients with Type 1 diabetes in Cornwall have been trialling a new treatment for the disease.

The treatment involves an insulin pump that mimics the body's pancreas and does away with the need for injections.

Some patients using the new pump have reported impressive results and an improvement in their quality of life.

Dr Duncan Brown, a consultant at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, said the insulin pump could also prevent hypoglycaemic attacks.

The pump works by delivering measured doses of insulin through the layer of tissue just beneath the skin.

'Unpredictable attacks'

"For some patients with Type 1 this can be very disabling," he said.

"It can cause them to lose consciousness at unpredictable times, meaning they cannot drive.

"The pump can reverse this, meaning they have a better quality of life and can get back to doing normal things like driving."