If I compute a bolus and don’t enter the bolus amount and then select combo, it will take me to the next screen without any way of knowing the recommended bolus amount. So you have to start over from the beginning.
I’ve been using the Ping for over a year and a half. I’m smart enough to get it to work, but it’s mostly a PITA. I know that pump companies can’t make any comments on devices at the FDA. But it’s frustrating to wonder whether the Vibe (or whatever it will be named) will ever be released in the USA.
I’m old enough to know that my four year warranty will pass quickly. J&J has totally neglected any communication with me since purchasing my pump. I sometimes wonder if they are planning to exit the pump world. I get communications from Medtronic and Tsndem on a regular basis. Although I use an Animas pump, I get nothing from them.
Are you saying the problem happens when you click combo before entering - based on the recommendation - the bolus you want? I used to wish that the pump automatically went to the recommend amount. And yeah, it would be a few button presses less. But only I know what I'm planning on doing (or doing doing) after the bolus, as well as what my Dexcom trend arrows are telling me. I like having the final say in the amount of a bolus.
Yeah, there are plenty of things like that that makes the Ping irritating. Not populating the bolus amount once it's calculated is a pain. I've heard that this is due to a Medtronic patent. On most menus you can't arrow up past the top menu item to get to the bottom menu item.
Perhaps the thing that Irritates me the most is when the pump decides to do some internal housekeeping and temporarily disables my button pressing for a few seconds while it takes care of business. I'm thinking, "I'm the human here. I should get priority of some damn machine!"
From what I've read from some European members here, there's not much different from the Ping to the Vibe, primarily the CGM display on the pump.
Have you looked at the Snap? It's compatible with Diasend, an important feature for me. They're limited to Humalog insulin, however.
It is all a question of money and not the patient's, but the manufacturer's. Like I/we can make more money selling 10-17 BG strips a day (inexpensive to make) over and over than some very expensive piece of equipment 1 time and supporting equipment once a week. (expensive to manufacture) If it was a money making proposition J&J would have pushed the FDA for an approval by now.
Oh and as for the FDA we here in the US must be complete different humans than in Europe or the rest of the world.
The Vibe does populate the bolus and that will remove one of my major irritations with the Ping. Another thing I hate about the Ping is that there is no Esc or Back button. If you screw up, you have to scroll down to get back to the main menu and start over again. I don't think that this will be fixed with the Vibe.
Other pumps like Medtronic populate the recommended bolus. You can accept it and push enter to have the bolus delivered. Or you can adjust it, but you adjust it up or down from the recommended amount and don't have to start from zero every time. With the Ping you have to start from zero every time to enter a bolus. My understanding is that this is changed in the Vibe and the computed bolus is populated giving you the ability to accept it or adjust it.
Don't know why it's taking so long. The Ping is the 2020 pump with a meter remote. the vibe is a 2020 pump, with the meter remote replaced by a cgm receiver. Alll they have to check is does the cgm receiver interfere with the pump.
The recommended bolus is indicated and the figures 0.00 are highlighted in flashing yellow. A single press of the up arrow populates the field with the recommended bolus. You can accept or use the arrows to adjust.
I switched to the Vibe from Medtronic in order to take advantage of the Dexcom connectivity. The menus, in particular the bolus menus on the Vibe are overcomplicated and poorly thought out. Medtronic's menu system is much better.
Also if you set a temporary basal and then decide to change it, you have to cancel the first TB. The pump then takes you right back to the home screen and you have to navigate through all the menus back to basal and set a new TB.
This type of thing makes me wonder how much resource Animas devoted to user studies. Did they ask enough people to really shake out what we consider obvious flaw? Or were they so hamstrung by patent law considerations that this was the best they could do? If that's true, then there's something wrong with our patent law. From my point of view, only allowing one company to populate a dose field on the basis of pump calculations, then that seems crazy to me.
Hello. I joined so that I could help with this question. Animus pumps will not get the option to auto-populate the bolus. That is a patented feature of the Medtronic pump. Amazon has the patent for "one-click" purchase and Medtronic has the patent for "auto-fill" bolus. I remember discovering this when I was researching pumps. I didn't think much about it at the time but once I got the Ping I quickly saw where that feature would have been nice. I doubt Medtronic will license this "technology" to Animas for any reasonable price so don't expect to see it on an Animas pump.
From the comment that you replied to, it appears that the Animas Vibe model will, in fact, populate the bolus field once the up-arrow is pushed. Perhaps this is the acceptable "work-around" to incorporate this feature.
Separately, Medtronic's defense of this patent injures people like me. I think it's akin to securing a patent of any fundamental or common feature. It's like getting a patent on water. Certain basic aspects and features of any product should remain in the public domain.
Dean Kamen…early insulin pump developer…says don’t blame FDA. Love Dean Kamen, but have to disagree on this one point. A year is too long to take for a product being widely, safely, and effectively used outside the US.
Interesting video from a perspective that we don't often hear, the design/engineering professionals that build the medical devices we use.
I don't accept his criticism of the medical device buying public, however. I don't expect devices that are "free" and quickly produced and I'm unwilling to accept my share of responsibility.
I've paid through insurance and significant copays, tens of thousands of dollars for pumps and CGMs over the last 30 years. These devices weren't free. Nor did they come to market quickly. In fact, the Vibe pump, has been in service in Europe for three years now, while Animas seems incapable of pushing yesterday's technology to market!
He seems to make out the consumer as the bad guy and I don't accept it. I accept reasonable risks in using medical devices but the manufacturer must shoulder their responsibility as well. Perhaps he was just trying to score points with his "design insider" audience but it doesn't sit well with at least one person that pays the bills.
Has anyone heard from Animas lately on when the Vibe may be approved? I know they've told different people different time frames (some of which have already passed), and I doubt they know exactly. I'll contact them to see what they tell me.
I figured I'd wait for approval before starting on a pump, but I'm getting impatient!
Why not just get the Ping now and do the $99 upgrade when the Vibe comes out? The Vibe is not that large of an upgrade from the Ping and what you learn about the Ping will transfer to the Vibe.
