O.k., I’m new here but I’ve been a Diabetic for 59 years. I’ve been using insulin pumps for about 31 years. I have a new Endocrinologist who is suggesting the following three new pumps; Paradigm, T Slim, Omni or Vibe. I’m using a Paradigm now. I’m kind of thinking about changing to the Vibe. The Doc says that one has the best sensor. My Insurance will cover any pump. I’m wondering if anyone has any strong points to make on any of these pumps. Especially the Vibe and T Slim. I’m looking for something that will do it’s job without a lot of constant attention from me. I’m not crazy about wearing a sensor all the time and I see the Vibe sensor seems kind of bulky. I test 8 times a day. Anyone who has had a Paradigm and switched, I’d appreciate your opinions or comments.
Thanks in advance
I switched from a MM to a Vibe about 2 years ago. I find the Dexcom sensors to be imnpressively accurate and reliable - within 10% of a fingerstick 95% of the time. This is significantly more accurate and reliable than the old MM Sof Sensors. I have not used the newer MM Enlites but know several users. The Enlites are an improvement on the Sof-sensors but although they have been improving them they are still not as accurate as the Dexcoms. Also, I can get 2-3 weeks out of a Dexcom sensor - you are lucky to get about half that with an Enlite. I self-fund so this has a big effect on costs.
The Vibe is a decent enough pump although if you are used to the MM menu systems you will find that bolusing and some other operations require more button presses on the Vibe - this can be a bit annoying although I have now got used to it. The colour screen on the Vibe is clearer but can be difficult or impossible to read in bright sunlight.
Given the choice again between the MM Veo/530G plus Enlites or the Vibe plus Dexcom the Vibe would be a no brainer for me. MM have a new pump the 640G out in Europe. This has a predictive low BG basal suspend feature that according to the users that I know actually works effectively!. However if you are in North America it is likely to be 2 or 3 years before it is approved.
Joel
Dont say that! 
I want one NOW. Tired of the crappy screen on the 530 and lack of water tightness.
I have a friend who has been using the 640G for a couple of months now. The low BG basal suspend feature on the old Veo/530G was pretty useless since it didn’t kick in until you were 2.8 or lower. However she says that the predictive system on the 640G works well. She was surprised to find that it activated on average about twice a day (often with BGs around 5.5) and that she now only has 1 or 2 mild hypos (e.g. around 3.5) PER MONTH! She can get the latest version of the Enlites to last up to 2 weeks and although I am still not convinced they are as accurate as the Dexcoms they are a lot better than they used to be.
Joel
Try them in your arm, if you don’t think they are as accurate.
I saw your earlier posts about location. I mentioned them to my friend but she said the problem with inserting the sensor in her arm is the difficulty in detaching the transmitter for a re-charge using one hand. I believe the 640G uses a different transmitter.
It wasn’t clear to me whether or not you are currently using a glucose sensor or not. I am curious from what current perspective you are viewing CGM.
While everyone is different, in my case my attitude about wearing a sensor changed markedly after I started using one. Not saying your opinions will change, just pointing out that for some of us that definitely did happen.
I agree from a less informed distance. I currently use a Paradigm 723 + Enlites so I’ve never actually used the 530G. But from what I’ve read about it, I see little to no advantage in moving to it from an older Paradigm pump like mine. So, if you have to make your decision soon then moving to some sort of Dexcom based solution looks best “on paper” to me.
On the other hand, if you can wait about a year and are also willing to do so, then the Medtronic 640G might be worth waiting to look at. Medtronic has claimed that the 640G will be available in the U.S. in 2016, perhaps as soon as April. We’ll see. (In my case, exactly when the 640G becomes available in the U.S. is a moot point. My current pump warranty does not expire until March of 2017 so I don’t expect to make any changes before then. 
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A suggestion: Try as hard as you can to get a week to a month “trial” of whatever pump/CGM you eventually decide to switch to. The only way to really know how you’ll feel about a system is to live with it. It’s always best if you can find a way to do that without locking yourself in for the next few years.
If you go with a Dexcom based solution ask about whether or not the pump’s firmware includes Dexcom’s “505 update”. If it doesn’t … and I think most of the pumps which support Dexcom still don’t … then ask whether or not you would be auto-magically upgraded at no additional cost if/when this support is added to the pump.
Yes, the 640G uses a different transmitter, but the changes are all internal. Externally the “new” transmitter has, as far as I know, the same physical form factor. The slightly tweaked “newer” Enlites used with the 640G’s CGM transmitter will also work with the older MiniLink transmitter.
Yeah, there is that. I also haven’t a clue how to do that other than the obvious “very, very carefully”. I wait with bated breath for the YouTube demonstration video from whomever manages to figure that one out. 
sometimes I have help removing the transmitter like today when I knew that the sensor was loose once we removed the two IV 3000. the tape that is underneath the sensor doesn’t hold very well when I get sweaty but the IV3000 holds everything together. so when it is time to recharge the transmitter we have to be super careful not to dislodge the sensor from my skin. once I get the transmitter off we put a bandaid over the sensor to keep it in place for the 20 to 30 minutes that it takes to recharge the battery
Hi Alsaright,
I have been on the pump for 10 years. I have only ever had animas pumps so I cannot speak from personal experience about other pumps, but I can give you my opinion on the vibe.
I have had the animas vibe since February now and I really like it. I had the dexcom prior to the vibe so having them integrated was a huge plus for me.
The reasons why I like animas is because it has the smallest basal increments (.025u) and it is waterproof.
I know a lot of people who have used medtronic cgms have switched over to dexcom and have found it to be more accurate. This is just my personal observation.
As for the t-slim, I personally really want to try the tslim as it is touchscreen and now it is integrated with the dexcom which is awesome.
Here is a great resource comparing different pumps: Insulin Pump Comparisons - Compare Insulin Pumps by Manufacturer
I hope I could help.
I don’t have personal experience of using the 640G with the latest incarnation of the Enlites, but I do have a friend who does. As far as I can see, the 530G is more or less identical to the Veo. The low BG suspend feature on the Veo is activated if BG falls below the threshold of 2.8 mmol/L and suspends basal for 2 hours. This is essentially an “emergency stop” system designed to protect the user from a severe (night-time) hypo. If you are an adult and are aware of/woken by the alarms it is unnecessary and the Dexcom/Vibe combination would provide a similar protection.
OTOH the 640G system will suspend basal for a rather shorter period to protect the user from a hypo before it occurs. Because the system is predictive, this is actually a first step towards a genuine Artificial Pancreas (AP) capabality. According to my friend the system actually works and she has far fewer hypos. Apparently you can learn to “play” the system, adjusting the suspend and altering the subsequent basal rates to keep BG as flat as possible.
I am still not convinced the Enlites are as good as the Dexcom sensors, but the latest version, in conjunction with the software on the 640G are catching up. If MM can continue to improve the sensors at some point the prospective AP capability will tip the balance in favour of MM. The Vibe is “hard wired” in terms of its software and cannot be upgraded. I suspect the same may be true of the prospective Dexcom Tandem and Omnipod integrations where the pump is simply substituting for a separate receiver.
Regulatory restrictions also make upgrades more difficult than with an integrated system like MM. For example Animas do not supply the new low-profile transmitters. Replacements are still the old bulkier models. I understand that the low-profile transmitters work perfectly well with the Vibe, but do not have regulatory approval.
Joel
Thanks all for your great posts and information. I think I’m going to wait a while here with my Paradigm until it fails again, then make the big decision. At this point in my Diabetes Career I just hate to interrupt things when they are not giving me any trouble.
I wonder how many of us are using our pumps longer and longer, past warranty? It seems many are…
I agree, sometimes “new and improved” is not.