owlyn
09-22-2008, 06:38 PM
After having a strange problem with a disposable pen (I kept it in a glass of ice while dining outside one summer evening. The next morning, it looked like there was a jagged hairline crack on the inside of the plastic. I called Lilly, and by the time I called, the crack had changed shape), I was told by Lilly that there is a glass vial inside the clear plastic part where the insulin is. They sent me a coupon for a new box of pens just in case mine were bad.
Anyways... being from Missouri (not really), I decided to take one apart to see. Well, sure enough, there is a glass vial inside, and, duh, it's the same cartridge that you would put in a regular pen. As the ice melted, water had gotten between the glass vial and the plastic outer part, and formed an odd kind of puddle inside. The edge of the puddle looked like a jagged crack. Because it was water, it moved around, and the shape of the crack changed.
Not satisfied, I also dissected a Lantus Solostar (glass cartridge inside) and the new Humalog KwickPen (glass cartridge inside).
I found a few neat things about each design. The Humalog pen has teeny tiny numbers that are magnificently magnified when you dial your dose. You wouldn't believe how small the print really is. The new Humalog KwickPen has several little rubber o-rings inside that are spring loaded, shoot out, and get lost when you take a pen apart the first time. The Solostar pen was kind of boring by comparison. next up -a Novolog FlexPen, but I suspect it will be as dull as the Solostar.
BTW, I do NOT reccommend the new Lilly KwikPen for anyone who has any kind of trouble with their hands. The device is spring loaded, and it takes a fair amount of pressure to dispense a dose. Once again (see reviews of the Memoir Pen), Lilly has created a device that is not well-suited for many diabetics (neuropathy, large older population with arthritis). I like it fior its color, as it makes it hard to confuse it with a Solostar pen, and I like that it does not make noise when injecting (other side of the spring-loaded coin). But, it does go click-click-click when dialing up a dose.
All-in-all, I still like the regular Lilly disposable pens the best. They are quieter, and if you forget how much you took, you can count the diamionds in the window for confirmation (not an official feature). If they were a color other than gray, they'd be perfect.
Anyways... being from Missouri (not really), I decided to take one apart to see. Well, sure enough, there is a glass vial inside, and, duh, it's the same cartridge that you would put in a regular pen. As the ice melted, water had gotten between the glass vial and the plastic outer part, and formed an odd kind of puddle inside. The edge of the puddle looked like a jagged crack. Because it was water, it moved around, and the shape of the crack changed.
Not satisfied, I also dissected a Lantus Solostar (glass cartridge inside) and the new Humalog KwickPen (glass cartridge inside).
I found a few neat things about each design. The Humalog pen has teeny tiny numbers that are magnificently magnified when you dial your dose. You wouldn't believe how small the print really is. The new Humalog KwickPen has several little rubber o-rings inside that are spring loaded, shoot out, and get lost when you take a pen apart the first time. The Solostar pen was kind of boring by comparison. next up -a Novolog FlexPen, but I suspect it will be as dull as the Solostar.
BTW, I do NOT reccommend the new Lilly KwikPen for anyone who has any kind of trouble with their hands. The device is spring loaded, and it takes a fair amount of pressure to dispense a dose. Once again (see reviews of the Memoir Pen), Lilly has created a device that is not well-suited for many diabetics (neuropathy, large older population with arthritis). I like it fior its color, as it makes it hard to confuse it with a Solostar pen, and I like that it does not make noise when injecting (other side of the spring-loaded coin). But, it does go click-click-click when dialing up a dose.
All-in-all, I still like the regular Lilly disposable pens the best. They are quieter, and if you forget how much you took, you can count the diamionds in the window for confirmation (not an official feature). If they were a color other than gray, they'd be perfect.