Insulin pump software for use w/ Macs

I plan on choosing a pump this weekend and would really like to get a pump that has software available for my MacBook. So far, it looks like I’m going to be out of luck on that. Anyone know of a pump system that supports Macs?

While you’re at it, anyone want to suggest a pump? I, of course, will choose one based on my needs and wants, but any information would be very welcome.

This should help, Kimberly:
http://tudiabetes.com/forum/topic/show?id=583967%3ATopic%3A9309

soemthing else you can look at is one of the many virtualization products that are out there. Since you do have the intel chip, a new product that just came out might be your style. It is called Vmware Fusion and will let you run windows applications nativly on the mac. No extra OS to boot up or anything. I am playing with it right now for deployment into the labs here at the college I work at.

I would recommend either the Deltec Cozmo or the Animas 2020. I have used both and they are fantastic. They Deltec has a few more features than the Animas, but the Animas is smaller and less bulky than the Deltec. Sorry I can’t offer any suggetions regarding the Mac software. Good Luck!

has anyone used a virtual windows environment on a mac? I’m wondering if your pump or meter would sync up to the virtual Windows as well as it does to the real thing?

Here are two other software programs that run Virtual Windows on a Mac:

http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/virtualpc/virtualpc.aspx

i have, and it does. i toted my mac all over europe this summer with vmware for my onetouch software. you can have both running, but, of course, they don’t communicate with each other. i 've been on the animas for 6 weeks now and lovelovelove it.i just wish the damned software would come out. i chose the animas for its size and the large screen-to-meter ratio. it’s very easy to see the text on the screen.

How did you connect the meter to the Mac? My MacBook has USB and FireWire only and from what I can tell the meter uses a serial cable.

A search on the web for diabetes software revealed a few links: Here’s one of them.

http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes_technology/software.php

you get something like this:

http://www.keyspan.com/products/usb/USA19HS/

I bought a cheap PC laptop just to use to sync up with my freestyle meter. I was able to get a cable like the one linked above on ebay for a lot less money…

It’s been a pain to find Mac Software that will upload data from a meter or CGMS. One maker, Healthengage (www.healthengage.com) has software that is says will upload data from Lifescan BG meters, but I haven’t been able to get it to work with my One Touch Ultra. I’m working with tech support now - it’s possibly a bad cable.

Medtronics has a web-based application for uploading data, but it won’t work with Mac based web browsers. Dexcom software for its CGM is Windows only. One thing about the Medtronics application that I dislike is that, even though its reports are great, they can only be downloaded as PDF file - and protected PDFs at that. You can’t copy, paste or move the data into another application like a spreadsheet to display it in some other manner unless you have software that will remove encryption from the PDFs.

For that reason, I have resorted to Boot Camp. I tried Parallels, but wasn’t able to get it to work with the Dexcom USB cable. It works with Boot Camp.

Terry

Chris, my experience is that Boot Camp works better than Parallels for synching with the Dexcom CGM. I just switched to Boot Camp and I’m liking it better than Parallels since I really don’t need to have both OS’s running at the same time.

Terry

i tried the healthengage software with my freestyle meter (which it also “supports”) and couldn’t get it to work. I’ll wait and see what their tech support says…

I wish that minimed would have their care link in a Mac form. I love my mac.

I have not got much to add here - just following your discussion, as I’m a Mac Addict. I’m a new Type 2 and have not been using any software apps for my disease process, but am quite interested now, as I had not even thought about doing this, so I will consider doing so. Surprising to hear these companies do not support it with the right cables - how discouraging! I do use Parallels a lot in my work to run some proprietary software my company developed and to work with some of my clients, and I like it a lot and my I.T. guy has started investigating Fusion - so far his reports are very encouraging. He says it’s a lot faster and does not lock up as much. Now what I’d really like is a meter that would sync with my MacBook and i-Phone and then sync the results into i-Cal – would that be kewl or what? C’mon Steve Jobs, build us an i-Meter!

Chris,

Not much so far. Tech support has suggested that I have the wrong kind of cable - instead of the USB cable I apparently should be using the Serial cable with a USB adapter. Huh?

Terry

Yeah, this has been an issue for a while with Mac OS for a while in general. We’re working on stuff with SugarStats.com to help cater better to pumpers. Though it won’t be able to directly be able to download form the meter itself (yet), we’ll at least be able to visualize/track the data via any web browser.

That’s why I’m developing my own web based solution for my needs. There are other web based solutions, but none that let you upload meter data. My web DB (plan) will take export files from the OneTouch DMS software and import them when I’m around my home XP box, but when I’m on my Mac or Palm, I can enter it via web.

This is a great reason to learn to program, plus, if I’m a good boy with my blood sugar, then I can program extra. It’s a reward system for me.

I’m working on software (using ruby) to extract data from my OneTouch Ultra2 meter. I use a Mac too, so it has been a bit of a pain for me, given the lack of choices. I’ll post an update once I have something to test.

The biggest challenge with the Mac is the inability to simulate virtual serial ports. All the meters use older RS232 technology (serial port), and provide a serial port to usb cable and device driver to “fake” a serial port, so their software can still work.

I use a macbook - intially I used bootcamp to run Windows, it worked - but was a pain to reboot into windows from my mac osx.

I now use parallels and it works perfectly. I run Windows as if it were any other program on my mac. I did have to upgrade my RAM (HA!) but no problems!

I connect my BD meter through a USB port to upload my meter and pump into Carelink, with no problems at all. Plugged in, the windows found the USB port and installed drivers and that was it! I also run several other diabetes related software programs through this WIndows parallel. I can run any PC software with no kinks.

This has solved my problem 100%

I have the HealthEngage software working with both my FreeStyle Flash and my OneTouch Ultra. Is it possible you have a bad cable or did not install the right driver? I used the KeySpan High Speed USB Serial Adapter.
From the HealthEngage web site:
In order to upload data from your LifeScan glucose meter to HealthEngage Diabetes you will need to purchase a OneTouch USB Interface Cable and then download and install one of the drivers from http://www.healthengage.com/support.html FreeStyle Flash users will need a serial to usb converter and the appropriate drivers if uploading to a Mac

Thanks, Khurt.

I have followed the directions from the HealthEngage site religiously, downloaded the drivers from the links on their site and STILL haven’t been able to get it to work even after buying a SECOND cable.

I’ve found another solution, but it requires Windoze. However, with Boot Camp, I’m reasonably satisfied.

Terry