Has anyone heard any news about the latest generation of the Dexcom?
Will there be an upgrade to the sensor, transmitter, receiver, or possibly all three?
What changes would you like to see?
I've been on the system for a few months now and here is my list of suggested improvements:
Better range on the transmitter. I often lose readings at night when I roll around the bed and my receiver is on the nightstand.
Some type of onboard memory for when the transmitter and receiver lose connection. Why can't the transmitter store a few hours worth of readings and upload them once the connection is re-established? I can get a 16GB microSD card that's smaller than the fingernail on my pinkie. I'm sure you can fit something in the transmitter to store some readings.
Offer some skin tone transmitters and matching tape on the sensor. It's a simple plastic piece and the tape is a fabric. Offer several different shades of skin tone and the sensor will more easily blend in and be less revealing. I think my first visit to the pool this year brought up this idea. The current gray transmitter on the white tape sticks out like a sore thumb no matter what color your skin is.
Update the receiver! Honestly, it looks like a 90's style pager. Give me a color screen and the ability to scroll through some of the data. Maybe give me the ability to generate some reports on the fly without having to download the data to my computer.
Integrate your system with the pump manufacturers. I think this is more of a legal issue and I've heard a revenue issue more so than a technical issue. Get the lawyers and the bean counters to get some real agreements in place and let the technical people get to work. I think the Dexcom is the best CGM on the market, but if someone else integrates with the OmniPod I'd switch in a heartbeat.
Anyone else have suggestions to add? I wonder how much Dexcom solicits feedback and/or listens to user groups like this.
I would add my most important issues so far: 1. ACCURACY-ACCURACY-ACCURACY (so trends are based on facts and variances from meter are not so great) 2. Allow the alarms to go off more than every 30 minutes, if desired (e.g. every 3 mins for the low blood sugars - super important to be addressed and shouldn't be sitting unnoticed for any amount of time, if you have your low alarms down at 70, considering the 10-minute lag time, too) 3. Volume control on the alert sound (I slept through the low blood sugar alarm sound, it was too quiet for me to wake up) 4. Have charger bars show progress until battery is full 5. Better clip (this straight non-clip one is ridiculous, can't hang on anything without falling and that means can fall easily even in toilet hence get wet and be ruined) 6. As far as I am concerned the Events option could be eliminated in favor of some of these other suggested features, as I never use and do not find it useful, since it doesn't connect with my pump and I'm not going to punch in all my pump stuff into the Dexcom AND my pump. This just FYI if that helps in any way for memory space, etc. 7. Shorten the lag time of the Dexcom value to the meter, if possible. 8. Shorten the 2-hour initial adjustment time of new sensor to transmitter. 9. Increase the number of days' graphs I can see. If I changed my basal/bolus from yesterday's problems, I'd like to see it the exact graph again to compare with today's experience without having to find my computer.
I hope someone from Dexcom watches posts like this and reports back to the company. Thanks for starting this discussion, Alan. There may be others, but I haven't found them yet.
The new Dexcom is already being sold in the U.K. It's a combination CGM and Insulin Pump. You can find out more about it by just googling it. You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgtuoFVKFds The sensor looks bigger than the current sensor and is only guaranteed for 6 months.
I spoke to technical support about a bad sensor the other day, and I asked about the status of an updated receiver. The rep told me that she had seen a prototype. Not much beyond that (despite my prodding) except that it was smaller than the current receiver (that's great...the current sensor I agree is like a pager from the 80's).
To add to the above, I would like the update to be able to tell me exactly when the 7 day period is up....I sometimes forget when I inserted a sensor and I don't like guessing until I get the "sensor ending soon" message.
Find a solution to the Tylenol/acetemenophin problem, since many of us are allowed only Tylenol for pain and that renders the sensor useless for those hours---sometimes days.
Color screens are cool, but I don't like the one on my OmniPod because I cannot read it in full sunlight. I have never had a problem being able to read the Dexcom screen, no matter how bright the sun is.
A lot of great suggestions. Some are technical and might not be possible at this time.
But most are so simple, I don't understand why they have not done it yet.
A lot of the information that I get once I connect to my computer should be available on the receiver. I enter the units of insulin each time I inject. Why can't I see my last entry time and units? This is so simple.
Longer range might or might not be possible, but as you said with the size of memory chips these days, having the transmitter be able to store a few hours of data should be so simple.
I was invited to a forum gathering by Dexcom about 8 months ago. i went hoping to make some suggestions, but it was just a selling pitch. They were hoping the users would convince the prospective customers how great it is.
Having said all this, I have to admit that Dexcom probably saved my life, and I will always be grateful that it exists.
I am on my second receiver and fifth belt clip. They are just bad quality. The new one I received is different, it has a clip, and a lock flap to secure the clip. I have not yet been able to use it, because the clip is so tight, I can not get it into my belt without a tool.
Hi Isaac, have you considered cutting off the clip from the Sport case? This leaves a loop for my belt and I orient the receiver screen upside down so I can quick glance at the latest reading.
The upcoming G4 has much greater wireless range of up to 20 feet.
We are debating on what CGM to get for my son (Type 1 for 1 1/2 years now). Think we are leaning towards the Dexcom. Should we wait until the "G4" comes out? Do you think it will be by the end of this year? Also, he uses Accu-Check Aviva meter & test strips ... do we still use the same meter/strips or will we have to switch to match the CGM that we get??
I was having this hesitance as well. "Maybe I should wait for the next generation to come out before I start CGM." But I did a lot of Internet reading of not only the Dexcom but on other diabetes devices, and the conclusion I came to was that its nearly impossible to tell when a new device will come. Even if the manufacturer is ready, they still have to jump through substantial FDA hurdles. To my knowledge, there is no pending release of the next generation Dexcom, so I made the decision to start with the current Dexcom. My reasoning was this: I would prefer to have a modern unit over an older one, but I would much rather start having better control now than a year from now. (And CGM is even better than I hoped).
And the meter is independent of the CGM, so no need to change.
I've been on the Dexcom for 27 months. It comes with a 1 year guarantee, and from what I have been able to gather, it has a life expectancy of between 18 months and 3 years. The batteries aren't replaceable.
The accuracy is pretty good, especially from day 4 to day 12. I use most sensors for 2 weeks.
The range on my unit is at least 5 feet.
I could not envision being without a CGM and I feel that you'll be doing your son a disservice by waiting until December (if the new device is released by then).
Thanks for your reply. His A1c is good for only having/living with this for 1 1/2 years (6.2) so I'm not sure we're going for better control (of course it wouldn't hurt). We are up most nights worried about hypo's. He is very active in the evenings & usually his blood sugar crashes about 2 hours after ... which is @ night. So, I'm up ALL night worried & I have to wake him up to check his blood sugar. It would be nice (better quality of life) if we could both get a good nights sleep & let the sensor alert us. UGH! So much to worry/think about. :(
