New generation for Omnipod PDM per Insulet expected 2016

I noted some highlights from the earnings call with a link to the full transcript.

Nice work, Lorraine. While Insulet is fast-tracking its smartphone app, it appears to be a pretty big leap from having it provide information to allowing it to provide actual control over insulin delivery. Remember, we are talking about the delivery of a life-saving (and potentially life-taking) medication via Bluetooth link from a non-dedicated potentially insecure device. I would think the best we could hope for in the near term (the next couple of years) would be an app that would provide PDM information and also integrate with a Dexcom G5 but would not actually take the place of the PDM. One positive point is that by moving some functions to the app, the PDM might be significantly smaller in the future.

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I hope they don’t go strictly to a smart phone controller for the Omnipod. The only phone I have is my work phone (not a smart phone)… just never found the need for one. So hopefully there will still be a PDM… just a better designed one. :sunglasses:

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On the other hand, having a smartphone app designed with security in mind would be a huge improvement for me. I could get rid of my toolbelt (:slight_smile: I have with the PDM, Dexcom receiver and smartphone. Also, with a smartphone, if something happens to it, you can replace it immediately. Twice I’ve had to have my PDM replaced (both times, my fault), and had to wait at least 2 days. Since they already have the PDM, they could offer either option. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a full-function smartphone app.

Regardless of whether there is a separate (improved) PDM to replace “The Brick”, you need to get a smartphone. It’s 2016, for heaven’s sake! :wink:

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[quote=“Kate25, post:7, topic:46667, full:true”]The thing I’m confused about still and I think what Sue was talking about is on Omnipod you have to confirm yourself every time you “wake” the PMD–which Omnipod should give you an option to turn off there aren’t multiple people using the Omnipod. In my case if I’m PMDing and Mom’s still ole schooling vial/shots, the confirmation screen is just wasting time for me.
[/quote]The apocryphal story is some kids at a D camp got their PDMs mixed up and accidentally bolused each other. This led to the identifying confirmation screen.

Something that’s only a problem with a wireless system. Tubies don’t have that risk.

[quote=“Sue59, post:12, topic:46667, full:true”]
Donna,That’s what Insulet told me when I called them. The man I spoke to told me it would be helpful for children at a diabetes camp. That’s fine if it could be turned off. Someone on an OmniPod Facebook group said she sees You Look Marvelous on her confirmation screen. I loved it, and changed mine to that. Now I smile when I see the screen and hit the confirm button!
[/quote]:laughing: I have mine set to “Is that you”

This thread has inspired me to change it again… think I’m gonna set it to “Juice Me”

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RE: Smartphone app/control of Omnipod.

This is a much bigger deal than most understand, for technical/engineering reasons.

The current implementation uses a proprietary radio format to communicate between the PDM and the pod. It’s not Bluetooth or wifi. So the Pod will have to be redesigned to work with smartphones.

Any change to anything triggers a rather involved approval process by the FDA, especially since pumps are class III devices.

So, given the reported state of this project (negotiations with the FDA have just started this year), I wouldn’t expect to see anything actually available on the market for 2 years, minimum. That might be shortened if Insulet already has a working, pretty solid prototype pod that can talk directly to a smartphone.

In any case, I think it likely we’ll see a new-generation PDM very soon, the smartphone approach is just too far out.

What does surprise me is the lack of any updates to the PDM firmware over the years. That would have been much easier to get through the approval gauntlet, especially safe changes like adding user-selectable control of the various nags, increasing the granularity of things like the IC to allow for tenths, etc.