Accu-Chek Spirit

[jeggeman31]

Anyone use it? Was not aware of this pump until I got something in the mail today.

[JediSkipdogg]

I'm not so sure about it. There was a huge debate if it shut off after 4 years or not. Disetronic is the one that makes it under the Accu-Chek name. It's been around for about 7-8 months now after an FDA ban was lifted on imported pumps.

The problem was Disetronic added a shutdown feature at 4 eyars that basically turned the pump off. You then had to buy a new one. Some liked this because it forced insurance to get you one. But what happened if you lost insurance?

However, upon numerous calls to Accu-Chek I was always told there was no shut down on the Spirit pump. I then even fronted them out once and said it was in plain english in their manual. Low and behold, within a month, the manual was removed from their site. So I have no idea what's up with that.

What I love about the spirit is it can be control via the pump or a PDA (of theirs) or a smartphone. This allows it to be hidden and ALL functions on the pump operated via the PDA (which is way above the Mimimed remote.)

[glashalful]

Wow, Jedi, that sounds shady to me. Makes me not trust them. But those controls sound great! Maybe I'll give them some time to prove themselves on the market. I've got a couple of years anyway.

Elizabeth

[jimbob]

The users guide is back on there and it still has the pump shut off alarm in it. It's on page 151-152 of the guide (152-153 on adobe acrobat). Sad to just have to throw away a perfectly good pump if it's still working.

[JediSkipdogg]

Sad to just have to throw away a perfectly good pump if it's still working.

But don't you want the latest and greatest technology. :T

FYI...that above is the famous quote that should be copyrighted by Accu-Chek as EVERYONE from there I have talked to has said that when I question it. And when I tell them they'd lose me as a customer if I didn't have insurance in four years, they then bring up payment plans for pumps.

[kgm0612]

Jedi...........I know someone from another board that is using it and LOVES it! I'll try to find out some info from him and post it for you.

Karen

[JediSkipdogg]

Karen...I LOVE the pump and LOVE the idea of the PDA remote AND it being controlled ON the pump. What I don't love is the time limit of 4 years. I right now have great insurance, but if there are no new pumps out there in 1.5 years, I'll keep my Animas till it craps out on me and then I'll get a new pump. Idon't want to be stuck on a 4 year life.

[trifona]

Jedi...........I know someone from another board that is using it and LOVES it! I'll try to find out some info from him and post it for you.

Karen


Hmm....When I tried the Spirit's software simulator it was nothing special. The same basic interface as can be found on the old Disetronic D-Tron Plus Pump, just less elegant imo.

[trifona]

I'm not so sure about it. There was a huge debate if it shut off after 4 years or not. Disetronic is the one that makes it under the Accu-Chek name. It's been around for about 7-8 months now after an FDA ban was lifted on imported pumps.

The problem was Disetronic added a shutdown feature at 4 eyars that basically turned the pump off. You then had to buy a new one. Some liked this because it forced insurance to get you one. But what happened if you lost insurance?

However, upon numerous calls to Accu-Chek I was always told there was no shut down on the Spirit pump. I then even fronted them out once and said it was in plain english in their manual. Low and behold, within a month, the manual was removed from their site. So I have no idea what's up with that.

What I love about the spirit is it can be control via the pump or a PDA (of theirs) or a smartphone. This allows it to be hidden and ALL functions on the pump operated via the PDA (which is way above the Mimimed remote.)

Jedi,

Two things:

1) I think someone on IP confirmed that the self destruct feature actually has a 6 year time, not 4years.

2) Unless I am mistaken the PDA does NOT control any actual insulin delivery options. The Pocket Compass software is the same program that Accuchek has been selling on their website for more than a couple of years now. It has a carb database, allows you to program some pump options (no delivery!), and acts as an Insulin On Board Calculator (a marketing gimmick in my personal opinion since EVERY OTHER main-line pump on the market can do do this on board and the Spirit cannot since it seems to have the same basic firmware -or at least the same user front end interface as ancient D-Tron.

[solox316]

The users guide is back on there and it still has the pump shut off alarm in it. It's on page 151-152 of the guide (152-153 on adobe acrobat). Sad to just have to throw away a perfectly good pump if it's still working.

Wow... I just cannot fathom this being true, but there it is, right in the owner's manual. I know it is like beating a dead horse, but this is crazy.

Here is the link for anyone interested in reading it yourself... (http://www.disetronic-usa.com/dstrnc_us/rewrite/content/en_US/3.2.7:70/article/DCM_general_article_280.htm)

I have a very good friend who is a rep for accu-check... I will repost after I speak with him about this...

sw

[JediSkipdogg]

Jedi,

Two things:

1) I think someone on IP confirmed that the self destruct feature actually has a 6 year time, not 4years.

Not doubting you, but their manual (which is revised from when they took it down) still says 4 years.

2) Unless I am mistaken the PDA does NOT control any actual insulin delivery options. The Pocket Compass software is the same program that Accuchek has been selling on their website for more than a couple of years now. It has a carb database, allows you to program some pump options (no delivery!), and acts as an Insulin On Board Calculator (a marketing gimmick in my personal opinion since EVERY OTHER main-line pump on the market can do do this on board and the Spirit cannot since it seems to have the same basic firmware -or at least the same user front end interface as ancient D-Tron.

That's what I'm still trying to figure out is what the PDA fully does. It says it can program the pump, but ist hat it? All they say is "Coming Soon" on all the links for that part of the feature.

[BlueSky]

... the self destruct feature actually has a 6 year time, not 4years ....

The manual on the Diesetronic USA website says 4 years. But the Roche Diagnostics Australia site says 6 years. Scroll down to the features section on this page (http://www.rochediagnostics.com.au/accu-chek/index.asp?s1=Insulin%20Pumps&s2=Products&c=spirit). I phoned the Roche rep in Auckland and she confirmed that the useful life is 6 years, in Australasia anyway. She wasn't able to comment on other markets. I pointed out that this is really bad form and she said that she would pass the feedback on up the line.

Apparently the thinking is that the company really doesn't want customers using pumps that are more than 6 years old because functionality degrades over time and the technology will have been superceded by more recent products.

[Funnygrl]

Karen...I LOVE the pump and LOVE the idea of the PDA remote AND it being controlled ON the pump. What I don't love is the time limit of 4 years. I right now have great insurance, but if there are no new pumps out there in 1.5 years, I'll keep my Animas till it craps out on me and then I'll get a new pump. Idon't want to be stuck on a 4 year life.

Jedi, you're incorrect in your thinking that the PDA can control the pump. It can't. They just include an outdated PDA to make up for the fact that the pump has no on board bolus calculator. The pump honestly has nothing to like about it. Have you seen the "virtual pump." Confusing as all ****. I could figure out the MM, Cozmo, and Animas all with no education, and I read the manual for the Spirit and still don't get it. The meter doesn't communicate either, so their idea of a good system is you:

1. Test blood sugar
2. Enter blood sugar into PDA
3. Enter carbs into PDA
4. Enter recommendation into pump
5. Program bolus
6. Upload all three objects to the computer
7. Carry all three objects with you

Disetronic USA - Insulin Pump Therapy |*Insulin Pump Products |*ACCU-CHEK^® Spirit Insulin Pump System |*Virtual Pump (http://www.disetronic-usa.com/dstrnc_us/rewrite/content/en_US/3.2.3:30/article/DCM_general_article_277.htm)

[SugarGeek]

Other than the outrageous fee for their software to pull reports out of your pump (Spirit) for your Dr, has anyone been able to determine the database format and something to pull the info into a real DB and report on it? The only other way the Dr. can see reports is to look at the tiny screen on Palm Z22 one by one for what he/she wants to see.
The data is pulled into the PC after the Palm gets the data from the pump/meter. So it is there, but in what format. The reporting software should be free with this thing.

[lisa821]

Well, based on my own experience with Disetronic/AcuCheck--for eight years I was a loyal customer of Disetronic, but when AcuCheck bought them out, their customer service went all to h*ll. I had never had problems ordering supplies until then. I got really tired of them screwing up my orders. When my H-tron Plus started its countdown and I made the call to AcuCheck to schedule the technical inspection, they nicely informed me that they would not be doing the pump inspections anymore and I'd have a nonworking pump once the timing mechanism expired. That was the last straw. Could they at least have notified their customers about this very important service which they would no longer be offering, instead of us finding out we'd have to go through the hassle of ordering a completely new pump, which often takes weeks?

I decided the potential hassles with this company weren't worth it. It's too bad, too, because Disetronic was a good company for a while there. They really blew it.

See a previous thread on this subject here:
www.diabetesforums.com/forum/pumping-insulin/13390-up-coming-accu-chek.html

[shabbie]

as an accu-check spirit user i guess i will be the first to say....i love my pump!!!

as i live in the britain i didnt get a choice in which pump to get as i pursued a funded route from the local PCT.

the working life of the spirit is in fact 6 years, i am lucky in that when mine shuts down for good i will get a 'free' replacment funded by my PCT.

its my understanding that the spirit is the most basic model of insulin pump on the market.

it gives me the standard bolus option, also extended and multiwave bolus options.

the smallest increment of basal is 0.1 unit.

there are no fancy wizards or gizmo's to work everything out for you. you get the basic programme and thats that! if you are used to mdi then it wont be a problem for you, you just work it all out as before and punch in the doses you require.


the uk customer service has been helpful so far, and others that used them also reported good customer satisfaction.

to those on a budget, dont knock it, its still a pump!

and i do love my pump!

[jeggeman31]

They must know we are talking about them. I emailed them the day I posted this thread. They called to talk to me, the same day this old thread was brought back to life.

[shabbie]

They must know we are talking about them. I emailed them the day I posted this thread. They called to talk to me, the same day this old thread was brought back to life.

hmm...thats interesting..... ;)

[Funnygrl]

After using the virtual pump, I find it's interface way more confusing than the other pumps I have tried.

[shabbie]

the virtual pump is a little more confusing. once you get the actual pump its so simple its child play lol ;)

[MarieD]

I too had no choice in the pump I was given - funded by the local PCT - of an Accu Check Spirit. Although I've only been using it a month I love my pump too! Must admit I'm a bit concerned after reading some of the comments but as far as I'm concerned so far so good :)

[shabbie]

i can honestly say i have no issues with the spirit at all :)

[SueM]

I too had no choice in the pump I was given - funded by the local PCT - of an Accu Check Spirit. Although I've only been using it a month I love my pump too! Must admit I'm a bit concerned after reading some of the comments but as far as I'm concerned so far so good :)

You can chose what ever pump you want according to NICE guidelines. Your PCT might be telling you that you have to have the spirit because they have a deal set up with the manufactures thus they get cheaper consumables. But the choice is yours. Just insist on what you want :)

[Harley Kitt]

Hey Everyone im new here and want to thank you for letting me talk to you all..

im 17 years old and i have diabetics i hate it but i have good control im on nova rapid and gargine at the moment and my nurse came around 2 weeks ago and said i could trial the pump and maybe keep it i want some information is it actully that good??
the thing im worried about it is that when i sleep could i brake it or when im riding my motorbike to work and i clip the hedge the hole lot comes off my body taking the tube with it please if anyone has anything to say please email me on ::::: Harley@oaklandimports.com i would really like to here your feed backs on the mechine it sounds amazing being with my friends and not having to inject no more how amazing :) :) and not having to carry my pens on me no more so if anyone can help please email me

Thanks :king::king::king::king:

[SueM]

Hey Everyone im new here and want to thank you for letting me talk to you all..
Welcome to the forum

im 17 years old and i have diabetics i hate it but i have good control im on nova rapid and gargine at the moment and my nurse came around 2 weeks ago and said i could trial the pump and maybe keep it i want some information is it actully that good??
What country are you in? If the UK I can not see you being given a pump if you have good control
the thing im worried about it is that when i sleep could i brake it or when im riding my motorbike to work and i clip the hedge the hole lot comes off my body taking the tube with it please if anyone has anything to say please email me on ::::: Harley@oaklandimports.com i would really like to here your feed backs on the mechine it sounds amazing being with my friends and not having to inject no more how amazing :) :) and not having to carry my pens on me no more so if anyone can help please email me
If you break the pump whilst asleep I suspect that would be a 1st :D The tube is under your clothing so unless you are going to ride your bike starkers I can't see a problem. As an ex biker I have to say that's very bad riding skills if you clip the hedges :T The pump is a lot of hard work and make no mistake you do still need to carry a few supplies with you just incase things go wrong. But yes pumping is fab and very few go back to injections. Do you carb count? if not if in the UK no pump until you have learnt. Also a min of at least 6 blood tests/day

Thanks :king::king::king::king:

I hope some of my answers help you.