I just met with the rep for Animas One Touch Ping and thought I’d share my opinions.
I’ve been MDI for 24 years, and will soon be pumping. Having read alot of info on these and other forums, I am leaning towards the Cozmo, and am meeting with their rep tomorrow. So without furthur ado heres the scoop;
~It is slightly longer than the older Animas ( to accommadate the wireless functionality)
~It has a very sleek design, a rather impressive belt clip, and a curved inner side, which would make hiding the pump rather easy, such as strapping to the leg, etc.
~The screen is quite nice on the pump itself; however on the meter remote, it is not quite as readable. (It does have a backlight i.e. the One Touch Ultra meter which I presently use)
~ The Software is both Mac and Vista compatible; although it does not say Vista compatible on the Animas website. I will be confirming this Friday. One cool feature
of the software is the ability to compose your own tunes for use on the pump,much
like a cell phone. A nice bit of user customization, which may contribute to my ultimate decision on which pump to go with, although for some it may seem like a gimmick. What’s next, mp3’s, video games? This is a lifesaving medical device after all…
~The meter remote screen went back to the home screen rather quickly. I was attempting to enter an ezCarb setting, entering different datas, and stopped pressing buttons. After about 30 seconds the screen went home, and all my info was lost. This seems a peculiar functionality.
~There was another pecularity about the pump’s menu system, which involved the cursor going to the bottom of the screen instead of the next item in various menus, which would be an annoyance with repeated use. It would seem to be an inordinant amount of button pressing to accomplish what would seem a simple task.
~It is built like a tank (the pump,) the remote however is a different story. I would not be confident cross country skiing in the winter as this meter may not operate in cold conditions, thus limiting its uses, much like any other meter. However there are workarounds.
~There are two reminders (only two!,) and although the abilty to give insulin in the .025 range may benefit some; I can’t imagine using it, and more button presses!
This device is definitely convenient if one wishes to stash their pump away, and control it wirelessly, although it is not quite as user friendly in terms of the menus and the user interface. Also I think that the exclusion of the carb database from the pump itself may be a major error, especially in circumstances where for whatever reason the meter remote was inaccessible or inoperative.
Since I only was with it for a little more than an hour, I realize that this is a limited review, but I wanted to share my initial impressions with everyone, as I have gathered so much from these forums already. I sincerely thank you all for that, wish you good health, and hope that in time a more comprehensive review might help others. In fact I am a bit hesitant in giving this info as it is a bit limited, but I thought Id let it fly, for what its worth.