A device acting as an artificial pancreas has got to pass two more stages of testing before being approved for used by the public. It was developed to stop the need for manual injections in diabetes sufferers, which could be needed multiple times per day. "To be ultimately successful as an optimal treatment for diabetes, the artificial pancreas needs to prove its safety and efficacy in long-term pivotal trials in the patient's natural environment," said Boris Kovatchev, lead researcher of the artificial pancreas from the University of Virginia.