[Artificial endocrine pancreas (author's transl)].

16 years ago Kadish (1963) Trans. Amer. Soc. Artif. Org. 9, 363--367) published his first pioneering experiments with an extracorporal blood glucose regulating machine. These experiments were fundamental to the development of an artificial endocrine pancreas that replaces the natural regulator of the blood glucose. Enormous improvements have been done as far as analytical and computer technology and algorithms are concerned. Satisfactory but time-limited insulin therapy of problematic diabetics is feasable and benefical. However, in spite of a very great miniaturization of the analytical device, of the computer system, or of the insulin delivery pump, we are still far away from a durable, or at least long-term implantation of an artificial endocrine pancreas.