So I normally FIFO my supplies, but tonight I was just too lazy to run down stairs for a new box and grabbed the spare pod they shipped this week to replace a bum one. I’ve been having the irritating, but inconsequential issue of that little black gasket at the top of the plunger not staying tight and popping off the first time I pull on the plunger for the last few months. (Not sure if I’m the only one with that issue…)
Anyway, I pull out the new pod and low and behold there is no black gasket on this syringe. I googled it for info with no luck and so I called insulet. They confirmed that they did indeed change the syringe design and there is no gasket. (Side note: I think the new design is easier to see and it won’t let you overfill. However, it is not as “smooth” to use and caused WAY more bubbles, IMHO)
Not sure if anyone else notices these things (or cares! Ha!) but there it is, fwiw 545-image.jpg (1.19 MB)
There is a thread here where folks were questioning this "new" syringe. As long as it works, I guess it really doesn't matter. It's just a delivery device, as if it's clean I guess it OK.
The new syringe worked fine for me on the 1st one. As an RN, I’ve used many different syringe types over the years and I liked the readability appearance of the new design. I had much less issue with air bubbles getting in due the poor needle to syringe fit of the older type syringe.
But yesterday I drew up insulin into one of the newer syringes and then had to walk away for a few minutes. When I went to inject the insulin into the new pod, (a max of 6 or 7 min later) the plunger was quite difficult to push and I was not able to inject the insulin slowly–it was a full, all at once push, or nothing. Luckily the pod did prime ok afterwards. While I certainly don’t make it a habit to leave insulin sitting around in the syringes, with the few times this has happened before with the old syringe design, I have not had this issue.
Just FYI, I started a new shipment of pods and now have the new syringe. I find it MUCH better than the old syringe. I can actually get less bubbles by pulling just a couple units in and pushing back into the vial a few times right at first (after putting a full syringe of air into the vial of course.) Plus I find there is a lot less waste of insulin. The old syringes were very wasteful. They are smaller, which I don't like but the result I think it better.
I, like you Kate grabbed a new replacement from Insulet and found that they had a manufacturing problem with there syringe. Grabbed an old unused syringe to fill the current pod and figured I would call Insulet and let them know they had a problem. Luckily I looked at the other new one and found it the same. Decided to try the "bad" syringe and found it much better to see, fill with less bubbles, and basically use. I wonder if Insulet investigated enough failed pods and found bubbles. A positive change that they could make without FDA approval. I for one am looking forward to my next shipment, though on the west coast we will see the old ones for a while. I do still use that old plastic tooth brush to jar the few bubbles to the top. How it works for me.
