Tandem Diabetes announced today that they will begin taking orders for the new t:slim insulin pump starting June 11, 2012. Exciting news in the insulin pump market!
Here's the full press release from Tandem.
The new pump uses a touchscreen device that looks akin to an iPhone. Here's a short review from DiabetesDaily about it as well.
It should be interesting to see what develops from the more established insulin pump companies in order to offer a competitive device, especially with the new user interface introduced with a device like this!
Pretty ridiculous. Really not too impressed with this thing.
It will be interesting to see how this does. I am always glad to see new pumps enter the market (competition is a good thing, right?), but there's nothing about this pump that compels me to switch. I have a Minimed Revel and have been very happy with it. Mostly because of it's reliability and durability. If my iPhone goes all nuts, that's one thing. But if my pump goes nuts, well, I could die!
Is anyone making the switch?
I think this looks interesting:
http://www.springnow.com/
It looks cute. But with a pump, I want a proven track record.
For what it is worth, Minimed applied for pre-market approval for their next generation pump that incorporates CGM driven low glucose suspend. Along with that application is one for the new Enlite CGM sensor. Data indicates it is more accurate, smaller and users report that it is much more comfortable for insertion and wear compared to the current sensor.
No telling how long FDA approval will take. I'm counting the days until I have the MiniMedR 530G in my hands.
Details are here.
looks nice
The impressive thing for me would be if they could have incorporated the BG meter directly into the pump. Wouldn't it be nice to get rid of 1 piece of hardware? This just seems like the same old pump repackaged. We need innovation.
Nice. Integration can be useful but personally I rather have the pump be as small as possible. Bg meter hardware would significantly increase the volume and weight, especially the thickness.
Way cool to see a new player finally get around to updating pager-style pumps to a modern, touch-screen interface. It is small and yet holds a full 300u. The big question in my mind is whether the touch screen is responsive and durable.
I wouldn't think it would have to be any larger. Look at the major components of the BG Meter.
1. Battery - Pump has that.
2. Screen for display - Pump has that.
3. Buttons for navigation - Pump has that.
4. Computer chip for processing results - Pump has that.
Then again if the Gen 5 CGM as the accuracy of BG meters than probably a mute point.
I think the rechargeable battery and large, breakable touch screen are bad ideas for a portable medical device. But at least you can play Angry Birds on it.
I'll be interested to see more about this too. Thanks for the link!
I agree that the hardware is all there to have a BG meter incorporated into it. I do, however, think that the funding/technology in this industry (as opposed to say the smart phone or tablet industries)is super limited. Part of the reason why our pumps are so big/clunky/1990s when compared to things like cell phones. The market is a niche one. And that is a major limiting factor unfortunately.
I like seeing new technology like this (even if it is the same pump features, repackaged) because it means that there is at least someone at the pump companies listening to part of our requests (to make it at least not look so antiquated, which I think they've done w/ the touch screen, etc). Now if only we could get them to listen to the other half of our requests ;)
I won't be switching to this pump any time soon--I'm a tubeless pumper until something better comes along...and this isn't quite that "something" yet.
I like the Tslim :) I would love to try it out. However, I feel that tubeless pumps are the new trend, I'm more likely to go to a new tubeless pump than the Tslim.
I agree with this. If it's anything like an iPhone, one drop and the screen is toast.
I actually don't see Tubeless pumps as being a trend. I know some folks love the Omnipod, but they seem to come with a host of issues (pod failures, no deliveries, dislodged canulas, etc).
I love where MM is taking their pumps with the 530G. This seems to be significant progress. However, I'd like to see this innovation combined with two other key improvements where I think Animas does a bit better - a larger/higher-contrast screen AND waterproofing. I LOVE my MM pump, but I will admit that I wish it was waterproof and had a screen that was easier to read (my vision is fine, but even I have a hard time reading the screen sometimes).
I agree! I think MM needs to catch up with everyone else as far as the water proofing and Higher contrast screen. They are a little behind on that but I do LOVE my MM pump, they are an amazing company, the 530G is only useful for those with CGM sensor which I do not have since insurance will not cover it. I mean most insurance companies don't cover CGM. The 530G system would be pointless for me.
However, MM will be working on a tubeless system that I'm excited about.
For some reason, tubeless systems scare me. I like to see the insulin going into the tube and being able to disconnect for any number of reasons. Finally, I'd rather having tubing than any sort of lump that I have to conceal under my clothing. Tubing is VERY easy to hide. However, the pods are NOT (and I seriously doubt that any type of pod will be slim enough to conceal under a tight dress).
The integrated CGM is a nice feature of the MM pump, but to be honest, I don't use it. For me, it's an accuracy and real-estate issue. Even if the CGM gave readings that were near perfect, I'd still probably not use it on a regular basis because I want to preserve my skin! All this adhesive and needles means that my skin can start to look really bad, especially in the summer when the adhesive causes all sorts of weird rashes. I don't think I can regularly manage TWO sites.
I've worn insulin pumps for more years than I care to count. One of the things I'm looking for in my next pump include a significant reduction in the number of button pushes to accomplish routine things like a bolus calculation and delivery. My current Animas Ping is a poor performer in this facet. For instance, I cannot arrow-up from the top of a menu to access the bottom menu item. Bolus selection is done on an arrow-up scroll to serially access the dose I want. I'm plenty tired of the overshoot-undershoot-overshoot circus. The t:slim addresses this issue.
As I age (I'm 58 now), I increasingly value better resolution screens. The ability to read my pump during the night without finding my glasses is a definite plus for me. Also, my current Animas pump is virtually unreadable in bright sunlight. I'm told the t:slim is readable in bright sunlight.
The rechargeable battery is a great idea if it delivers as advertised. Tandem's website includes videos from beta users that say they charge their batteries while their pump is disconnected from then during shower time. If it is a reliable quick charge, I see that as a green plus.
I, too, am worried about the screen ruggedness. I've owned iPhones for 4 years and I've dropped my phone from my pocket onto a paved surface as I was getting out of the car. The screen did not break. If the unit can survive short falls and they provide reasonable customer service, support, and warranty policies, I could probably live with this risk.
Finally, I am thrilled that at least one pump manufacturer values design and the user interface. I hope this company and its product meets with success.
+1
It would be great if Tslim can demonstrate to Medtronic how to make alarms loud and customizable.