We have or are seeing a lot of new players in the pump market but what about the common link? The infusion set. I for one do not think patch poumps are too atractive as I feel it woud be like gluing a Microsoft mouse to me. I think the area that needs some thought is the infusion set. Here is some food for thought. Silicone lubrication on the set does make it easier to be inserted but it also may have an effect on the ability for the site to absorb insulin. The medical device industry has known for some time that the silicone remains and leaves a sleeve around the canula. Do we really need lubrication when you have a Teflon canula? How about sharps protection on the latest inclusive set from Animas, ever pull the set oput whn you are pulling the introdicer needle? How about someplace to put your finger so you can hold the set in place while removing the introdiucer.
Hi Chango! I see you are a recent TuD joiner as am I. Welcome. I was diagnosed in '68 and I use Ping as well. Infusion sets! Arrgggh. For me, the teflon on/in most of the cannulas sold makes a giant red welt that takes weeks to heal . I've had to switch to sets with a stainless steel cannula. Actually I like them a lot, as they avoid the problem of kinking, so that's one less variable in the mix.
One problem with the metal sets (contact-d or rapid-d) is that they disconnect a few inches from the needle, leaving a tail of tubing. If I take a sauna or hot bath, that tail insulin gets cooked. Just this week I got a new kind of metal set to try with a number of improvements (am hoping - haven't tried it yet):
1) disconnects at the site - no tail! Yeay! 2) tubing rotates freely around site so can be adjusted for various pump/clothing locations. 3) smaller needle gauge - 31 I think? = comfort. 4) set needle comes in shorter length (5.5mm) for skinnier people/less padded spots/younger children. 5) tubing is blue which is supposed to make bubbles easier to spot, also makes the tubing less noticeable. 6) and they have many tubing lengths to choose from.
I don't know if these would improve your experience with sets - no introducer needle to pull out. I will report back after I try them. Oh - they are called Orbit micro's, they come with steel or teflon cannula, and they were designed by an actual pumping diabetic, at least that's what I read.
-Linda
Yeah I have tried the Orbit and liked it a lot. The only issue I remember with it was that even with site prerp it did not seem to stick as well as I am used to. I sat in on a user group with some manufacturers in Viena last year and the predicted trend was sets getting shorter, possibly 4 mm. I have git sme uideas for a set and some day wil r]try and launch it. I hve worked in the medical device industry for the last 25 plus years and think that the set is the missing element towards ideal pumping. I know that everyone has their own ideals as to waht to use. My goals would be to incresae and maintain insulin sensitivity so that sets worked as well on day three as day one.
Ah ha. I haven't had sticking issues with other sets so far. Will see tomorrow about the Orbit.
Yes, the set is often where the struggle happens - something that didn't create scar tissue so much would be nice. I've been pumping for almost 7 years now and I definitely see a loss of effectiveness in certain areas I always use, even though I've gotten really careful about rotating and not hitting the same spot sooner than a month (I keep a diagram of my abdomen where I plot the sites/dates!). I can't imagine how it would be down the road 20 years (I should be so lucky). Many young folks are pumping, though, and will need their hide to work for decades and decades. Of course they'll have a cure long before that, right? Right. It's been 5 years till a cure ever since I was diagnosed!