I thought maybe someone else might like seeing the inside of the Tslim cartridge
My old cozmo would still deliver insulin when the pump said zero units - it would still deliver some bolus - the Tslim doesnt - when its zero its ZERO - ALL DELIVERY STOPS
I wondered if the cartridge was really empty - so I tore an "empty" one apart
As you can see its a pleated plastic bag that in my case isnt empty - but nearly - dont pay attention to any bubbles, I cut open the bag during dis assembly ... oops
That's why I use a syringe to remove the remaining insulin in the old cartridge before installing a new one. I use the 20+ units in the syringe to manually fill the new tubing so the "old" insulin is the first that gets used in the new cartridge fill. I learned this tip from another t:slim-er. At nearly $200/vial, I hate the thought of wasting insulin.
Amen to that!
@Grandma; I thought it wasn't best to use insulin that's been in a pump being it's been next to our bodies and thus rendered ineffective?
hmmm... I haven't had any problems using it, so I'm sure the insulin is still effective. By manually filling the tubing with insulin from the cartridge, it doesn't mix with the fresh insulin and it goes into my body first. Some people add the old insulin to a vial of fresh insulin, which I would never consider doing. One thing I've learned after almost 60 years of this disease is that each diabetic must learn what works best for them. If you're apprehensive about re-using the cartridge insulin, don't do it. Your intuition is an important asset.
My endo told me not to use it, but it has worked for some people. I agree about the pump stopping at zero being a drawback, my MM paradigm would keep pumping.
@Nicole -- I used a paradigm pump for 12 years and loved it. Never had a bit of trouble, until recently. I think it just got too old to do what it was designed to do... sort of like me... ;-) Moving to the t:slim has been quite an adjustment. There are things I like better and things I miss about my MM.
This is neat! Thanks for sharing. =o)
I just started reclaiming from the tubing and from the cartridge. I had an extra 25u-30u in the cartridge even though I was being told it was near zero. I'd noticed previously that even with priming, the pump would register 25u-30u less than what I'd put in. Question: If you prefill the tubing do you prime with the tubing unattached from cartridge and fill it to the top of the luer, then attach and hope for no/few bubbles? Just curious. Not only are you saving insulin, but I'd bet the process is faster too.