Apparently, new technology has improved the tape quality and chemicals that allow the infusion set to remain inserted longer than previous sets without causing irritation and other problems.
3 Likes
How does that address the issue of tissue damage due to infusing insulin in the same spot for an extended period? It hardly seems like the set is the limiting factor for preventing scarring.
@Dave44 I don’t have the answer to your ask, but I did a similar 10 day wear study this Spring. The cannula length was much much longer and had slits along the length to eliminate cannula kinks and improve absorbtion. I tried to keep a few study samples…I liked them.
I agree that it is the infusing insulin itself that causes subcutaneous tissue damage. The length of time an infusion set resides in place is directly related to the extent of tissue injury.
I don’t see how better surface adhesion or design changes to the cannula, including adding side perforations to the cannula addresses the main factor to sub-q tissue insult: infusion site residence time.
Once you over-abuse the subcutaneous tissue you may have to abandon that site for a long time, maybe forever. I don’t get this whole idea. Perhaps I’m missing something.
Extended infusion set wear time is one innovation I won’t likely pursue. The convenience it gives can prematurely wear out the limited “real estate” each of us has.
Edited to add: The volume of insulin delivered also plays a role with greater volume leading to decreased site logevity.
I don’t get this idea either. Tissue scarring, absorption issues, itching, how would a different infusion set solve that? Longer cannulas probably won’t help, otherwise thin people would already have less issues with infusion sites. At least for me that’s not the case.
1 Like
It will be cheaper, no? Now it might be categorized as durable medical?
Likely cost same to manufacture, but sell at twice as much as 3 day ! Guess who gets benefit ?
I like the idea of a 7 day infusion set IF it does not cause any more site problems then the 3 day infusion set.
Not everyone could load up enough insulin into their pump for a set to last 7 days. I’m not sure even my 300U 670G would manage 7 days. I change reservoirs when I change sets…
After 56 years of injecting insulin one way or another, I’d never even contemplate using a 7 day infusion set.
As a kid the only sites I used were the outsides of my thighs, and the resulting lipohypertrophy was something to behold (it was little understood and even more poorly explained by my doctors of the day)
We now know that insulin absorption into hypertrophied cells was less than optimal, but since there were no BG meters, who knew?
The photo(s) below aren’t of a beer belly, rather overuse of abdominal sites with inadequate site rotations:
1 Like
That was one of the first things I was warned about (with pix) back in 1983, and I’ve been a religious site rotator ever since. Even when it comes to finger sticks.
It might be ok for those of us who don’t pump a lot of insulin on a daily basis. I only fill my cartridge around 60 units and that gets me through 3-4 days depending on what I’m eating. So since I am not pushing out that much insulin and I must say, I use every available spot I can, this might remove another thing I have to think about. I am all about not thinking about this stuff anymore.
But it looks like it will only be Teflon cannulas which I don’t use due to linking issues. But if they can eliminate kinking, it might work.
This is why they do trials. I know I did one for BD with the infusion set that had extra holes throughout the cannula. I hated them, they kinked all the time and they were not on the market for very long. Trials are a good thing. But even if something passes through all the studies, it is not going to be for everyone, this is where more choices is a good thing.
2 Likes
I have been injecting and pumping insulin for almost 25 years, therefore rotating pretty well over time. Earlier this year, I absentmindedly injected my Victoza (off-label for type 1, of course) in the same place too many times and now have a divot in my stomach that has not gone away. I felt soooo stupid - I was a good rotator for 2.5 decades and messed up with another medication I am voluntarily injecting!!
1 Like
I have been infusing insulin within the same 6” diameter on my abdomin for the past 10 years and have experienced only slight discoloration lasting a few weeks.
My 300 unit reservoir lasts between 3 to 4 days so I would have to change it once while leaving the infusion set in place for 7 days. Still, one less thing to worry about. Hopefully, newer pumps would allow 500 to 600 unit reservoirs.
I use the smaller reservoirs, so I guess I’m not pumping as much insulin as some people, and my reservoirs last about 3.5 days. Still, I sometimes find that my numbers are going up on the last day, and it’s usually due to the site getting irritated. I’m not sure I’d want to try leaving a site in for seven days. If they do figure out a way, I’d want you all to test it for a year first! 
1 Like
I know you meant “kinking”. 
Me too–I won’t use cannulas again.
How do we ask to be included in the study? I only use about 35 units a day. And use the 670g plus enlite sensors. It would be great to only change everything once a week. It also seems like there would be less waste of insulin since you wouldn’t need to prime as often.