Solo4U Demo kit

The Solo is about 3/4 the height of the OmniPod…otherwise, it’s about the same exterior perimeter.

Excellent picture Janice. You are very good with your camera. The Solo sort of reminds me of what the OmniPod would look like if it was flattened…

Awesome work, Janice. Realistically, it looks like there is little practical difference between them in terms of size and footprint, although the shorter height is a good thing.

I have had this before and I contact Abbott. First though I will test the strips on a separate meter to validate that it’s the strips not the meter. I have learned that if the half circles on the strips are not split evenly, that’s the issue. If that is the case and you call Abbott, they will recognize it as an issue. The half circles should be perfectly halved. Does that make sense? I remember code 25s were the devil for us. It’s maddening. And yes - error 3. Boo hiss!

Another deterrent that I have heard repeatedly is the IOB calc and the fact that OmniPod does not perform it for meal bolus’. I believe Solo does. That alone won’t make me switch, but I really would love that feature. It would help greatly for people who care for Caleb, particularly at school.

Medingo stated the Solo is 25% smaller than the OmniPod. I can’t imagine this size difference being a deciding factor when there is so much else to consider.

Now that you mention it…I did notice that the half circles were not perfectly divided on at least some of the test strips I had that gave me an error 3. Did not pay attention to all of them…probably should have saved them so I could send them back to Abbott for ‘evaluation’.

I agree, but I have no doubt Medingo’s marketing people will make a big deal about the smaller size (at least, until the smaller pods are released).

I requested a sample kit of the solo a couple weeks ago. Still waiting…they don’t send any info on how to work with the solo4u? It sounds great, I would like being able to disconnect! But do like the OmniPod!

I guess I just don’t understand the need to disconnect. I mean you still have the base on you so it’s not like you’re equipment free. The only times I could possibly see using this are for tanning, saunas, and hot tubs. Are there any other times this feature would be useful?

I got a sample box in the mail yesterday and took some pictures to compare its size to the size of the omnipod. I used an old omnipod that had the adhesive ripped off, so the pics are slightly deceiving b/c the pods ‘surface area’ will still be a little bigger than the solo.
The literature in the demo box said they’ll have ‘preferred sites’ where they will test market the solo in early 2010, and then slowly build their supply area out from there…and they’ll be contacting you (the people receiving demos) to let you know if you’re in one of those preferred areas to discuss the possibility of participating in their initial launch (which would let you have the solo and 3 month supply for free if I read it correctly). I imagine east coast and west coast (or midwest area like Chicago), so my hopes of being in the focus group living in Oklahoma are not that high :slight_smile:

I think it might have to be taken off for swimming - I don’t think it has the waterproofness of OmniPod. Also it might be helpful to remove for contact sports like football or even other sports just as a preference.

Side by side they look to be about the same size, even the width looks close! When I was wearing the MiniMed, I use to disconnect for evenings out, depending on the outfit. Always for swimming or boating or skiing…any activity where the tubing might create an issue. I would like to do the same with the OmniPod and not lose the insulin. Ladies you know when you dress up you don’t want that bump! I am excited to get my sample and check it out!

Nice job with the photos, Bradford. Here are my observations.

  1. Smaller size is good. It’s not that much smaller than the OmniPod, but you do appreciate the difference. When the almost half-sized OmniPods roll out next year, I will be excited.

  2. The disconnect between the base and the pump requires some effort and is tricky. I would think you would come close to ripping the base off the skin with even one disconnect.

  3. I thought the OmniPod bottom adhesive design with the anchor point at the cannula and the arc (see Bradford’s bottom photo) was a bit weird, but I now appreciate it. The pod can breathe a bit more (you can even reach under the pod), whereas the Solo’s entire base is stuck to the skin as big plastic block. This looks kind of uncomfortable and sweaty.

  4. No automated cannula insertion! You have to use a tennis ball sized insertion tool according to a video on the Solo website. I love the OmniPod’s automated cannula insertion feature!

  5. The buttons (looks like you have to pinch on both of them simultaneously to deliver insulin) are cool, but my guess is that the Solo will rely upon a system of beeps to confirm insulin delivery. That alone would convince me to carry the controller around with me at all times.

Overall, I’m not too excited about the Solo.

  1. I agree about the size. It’s not that much different, and the new version of the pods should be a highly competitive improvement too.

  2. I also agree the disconnect point seems like a 2 person job almost to not put too much strain on the adhesive. I also went to the omnipod for its waterproof abilities (long sessions in the pool were hard to balance w/ the minimed b/c I was disconnected). Going back to the solo (and thus disconnecting) would be like going back to a tubed pump…not a selling point for me.

  3. I was not a fan of the ‘lack’ of connection points between the adhesive and the pods when I first started wearing them (they still wiggle around quite a bit if I wear it horizontal on my back and go for a long run), but I agree that the adhesive has a better chance of ‘breathing’ and drying out (from sweat, showers, etc). If you have very skinny arms and place the Solo on there, it seems like the large surface area it takes up would allow for ‘wings’ almost…maybe that’s just me though.

  4. The convenience of auto insertion allows me to use ‘no hands’ and I can stick the pod more places on my back that are somewhat difficult to reach. I too love that feature!

I am also not very excited about the Solo…I think I’ll wait for the smaller pods and be content :slight_smile:

Totally agreed.

Just to follow on the disconnection. Although Medingo seems to make disconnectability a huge differentiator between the Solo and the OmniPod, the Solo’s disconnection is poorly designed and exceptionally difficult. After playing with the demo, it is clear that Solo disconnection is no easy “click in, click out” procedure. Rather, it seems like a tricky two-handed operation, requiring good visibility and quite a bit of strategically applied force to prevent ripping the base from the skin. Accordingly, I think the Solo would be difficult to use at many sites that OmniPodders take for granted (such as the back or the arms) because of the inability to get two hands to the site and/or visibility issues.

Just got my Solo kit in the mail today. The good news is that maybe Insulet will move quicker in their launching the new smaller pod that they’ve been talking about for 1.5 years! I always think that having competition is a healthy thing so, the more the merrier in this space. I don’t think I would want to switch because 1) auto insertion is great 2) built in glucometer is essential & 3) we like our OmniPod. Thanks everyone for providing side by side pics. It’s a cool idea to be able to take it off and on but I don’t see how that works with the cannula? Anyway…Insulet’s stock is going up, up, up so that’s a good sign too.

The cannula is part of the base which remains in place when you disconnect.

When I wore the demo kit for two days it did seem to disconnect easier than when I was just playing around with it. One question my husband asked me, that I had not thought about was “how does the part where the cannula is located “seal” up when it is disconnected - so that dust or dirt does not get into that opening”?

Well we haven’t received ours yet, but I am glad to see the pictures and hear the comments. I think the only small advantages I see in the solo are that you could disconnect if you were going in a sauna, and if you couldn’t find your PDM you could always check your BG with another meter and bolus. I don’t think my 9 year old will be facing those issues though, and we are very happy with the Omnipod. I can’t wait until they are smaller so maybe they won’t wobble so much, but the automatic insertion is key for us. My 9 year old can almost do the whole thing himself (besides drawing up the insulin) and I don’t want him to have to go backwards to depend on me inserting it. Especially since the back of the arm is the only place he’ll wear it so far. Oh well - I agree that the competition is good though!