A wearable device that works like a "bionic pancreas" for diabetics has passed a real-world test, proving that it is able to monitor blood sugar and automatically give insulin as needed, doctors announced on Sunday.

The device has been tested on 20 adults and 32 teenagers for five days. Unlike other similar devices which just corrects high blood sugar, this device is also capable to correcting low blood sugar, just like what a real pancreas does, according to an Associated Press report.

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Scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston University developed the device. The results were announced during the American Diabetes Association gathering in San Francisco and were posted online via the New England Journal of Medicine.

The bionic pancreas is designed to be used by patients with Type 1 diabetes, the kind that usually occurs from childhood and renders a person unable to produce insulin to convert food into energy. Because sugar accumulates in the bloodstream and risks damaging the heart and other organs, patients with this kind of disease should regularly check their blood sugar level and inject insulin several times daily.

Massachusetts General diabetes specialist Dr. Steven Russel helped design the bionic pancreas, which is made up of two pumps for insulin and glucagon (the substance that raises blood sugar), and an iPhone connected to a continuous blood sugar monitor. The device is connected to the patient via three small needles inserted under the skin.

Although patients still have to use the finger-pricking method to check their blood glucose level twice a day, the whole system automatically gives insulin or glucagon as needed.

Meanwhile, the device is set to undergo another test on Monday on 40 adults who will use it for 11 days. Researchers hope to create another version that combines all three of the parts into a single device by fall.

San Diego-based firms DexCom and TanDem Diabetes Care Inc made the components of the version used in the latest study. Other companies such as Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson are also working to create their own artificial pancreas devices.

Although the Boston group's bionic pancreas is impressive, there are still more hurdles to be overcome in order to bring the device to the market. According to Aaron Kowalski, the grant overseer at Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the main goal is to put together the components into one automated device.

TagsBionic Pancreas, Diabetes, Wearable Tech