Scientists said a smart insulin patch that can detect rise in blood sugar levels and secrete doses of insulin into the bloodstream could replace painful injections for diabetics. The patch was developed by researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and NC State University

Findings of the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed that the new, painless patch could lower blood glucose in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes for up to nine hours.

Co-senior author Zhen Gu, a professor in the Joint UNC/NC State Department of Biomedical Engineering, said in a statement that they have diagnosed a patch for diabetes that works faster and is far easier to use.

The new smart patch is made from nontoxic, biocompatible materials, Gu added.

Researchers for the study chose to emulate the body's natural insulin generators known as beta cells. These versatile cells act both as factories and warehouses, making and storing insulin in tiny sacs called vesicles.

The first cell emulated was hyaluronic acid or HA, a natural substance found in many cosmetics. The second was 2-nitroimidazole or NI, an organic compound used in diagnostics.

The researchers connected both the cells to create a new molecule, with one end that was water-loving or hydrophilic and other that was water-fearing or hydrophobic.

This resulted in millions of bubble-like structures, each 100 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

Then in each vesicle, researchers inserted a core of solid insulin and enzymes specially designed to sense glucose. When blood sugar levels increased, the excess glucose crowded into the artificial vesicles.

The enzymes then converted the glucose into gluconic acid, consuming oxygen all the while, said the researchers.