As you're getting ready to visit your family for the holidays, you may require flying to your destination. While going through airport security, please keep these important things in mind. Your pump should not go through the X-ray screening that is used for carry-on or checked luggage. The new airport screening, Whole Body Imaging Technology, is also a form of X-ray. If you are chosen to go through this form of screening, you will need to disconnect from the pump at your skin site prior to the scan and request alternate methods of screening the pump other than using X-ray. Your infusion set may remain in place. For more information on traveling with pumps, in the United States, visit the American Diabetes Association website, www.diabetes.org. You can also call your local airport or airline for security guidelines that may apply.
Delta's flight surgeon does not agree with the above. She says the full body scans are fine. I have been thorough the full body scans at CVG and MCO several times without effect. Both TSA and the Delta Flight Surgeon said not to go thorough the old magnetometer type scans.
Go figure.....
Also, the Delta Flight Surgeon told me not to turn off the RF between the remote and the pump. It was a medical device and therefore permitted to remain on. Her conjecture was Animas had not paid for an FAA approved test to be conducted and therefore could not state it was approved.
Bottom line, check with your airline and ask for the airline's flight surgeon for the BEST. Do not trust anyone who does not work for an airline or TSA.
Animas says not to go thru the body scanner - I think they know more than the flight surgeon. If there ois a problem and Animas voids the warranty, will Delta fix it? Better to be safe than sorry insist on manual inspection - no X RAY and no body scanner. Metal detector and hand wands are OK as I understand it
I have been on 6 flights with my pump in the last three weeks! With Animas One Touch Ping, I did not want to risk going through the body scanner so I have just been warning TSA officers I will set off the metal detector and have to get the pat down. This worst part is the wait for a female TSA officer to be available and looking after your stuff. The rest is harmless but time-consuming. They also check their hands and your hands for chemicals. I haven’t turned off my RF and I don’t plan on doing so.
I am a neew Animas pumper, former Deltec Cozmo pumper. I am told that you can remove the insulin pump and ask for a manual hand scan of the pump. When I used to travel with my Deltec, sometimes it would set off the metal detector and sometimes not. I also used to put m y Deltec spare travel pump thru the xray machine as it was in my briefcase. I never had a problem doing that but I understand that Animas recommends against that so I will hand 2 pumps to the TSA officer. I understand that TSA also has a medical ID card which I will try and find on their site and carry with me. I think that if you want to avoid the pat down, asking for a manual inspection of the pumpmay be thebest practice. My first flight is still about 6 weeks out so I will see.
The tsa link for the ID cards is http://quest.mda.org/sites/default/files/Notification%20Cards%20II.pdf . Below i have 2 completed cards one for a pump and one for both a pump and a CGM. The layout is such that if you flip the paper over it will print on both sides of the paper (Exactly lined up!!!)and have the front and back of the card on one piece of paper. Cardstock would be best to use.
I tried opening the attachment and it looks like it is a format that I can’t open - so if you are interested send me note and I will email you or you can copy the cards to word and add a text box. Unfortunalely the TSA form does not allow you to type in the little box.
5556-idcardTSA.docx (130 KB)