In an effort to better dispense insulin to diabetics, scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are developing a “smart” patch that will monitor blood glucose and release insulin when levels increase.

A study on the device, which has only been tested on mice so far, was published in the journal ACS Nano. Researchers hope the device will relieve diabetic patients of constantly having to prick themselves to check their glucose levels and administer insulin.

The patch sticks to the skin and is covered in painless microneedles that are loaded with insulin-carrying pouches. When glucose levels rise, the pouches break apart and release insulin into the patient.

The patch was effective when tested on mice and helped them maintain consistent concentrations of insulin in their blood.

“Insulin release responds quickly to elevated glucose and its kinetics can be modulated by adjusting the concentration of glucose oxidase loaded into the microneedles,” the authors wrote in the study. “Testing indicates that a single patch can regulate glucose levels effectively with reduced risk of hypoglycemia.”