[Dewey]

As mentioned, several friends here have suggested we make a thread to detail some of the highlights & lowlights of each pump & company. This is an excellent idea, as it will allow new & prospective pumpers to find answers to questions they may have.

That said, I ask that you please read this post entirely (or at least the First part!!) before submitting a reply:

In this thread, I ask that there be NO competitor bashing/slandering and absolutely NO "pump wars." What I'm trying to do is gather lists from fellow users who've used one or more pumps. In their posts, they should detail the pump's/company's pros & cons (with ones they’ve had experience with). In a way, it should be objective, but being somewhat subjective (i.e. giving props to one's company of choice) is fine, provided nobody steps on anyone else's toes. We must remember that what may work for one pumper (or soon-to-be pumper) may or may not work for another. Be helpful, but remain respectful. Thanks, and let’s get started!

Listed below are some of the highlights & lowlights of each pump/company I’ve had experience with:

DELTEC/Smiths Medical Pros:

1. User friendly & customizable through PC (can name pump and add emergency info.)
2. Large display screen
3. Universal Luer Lock connection - can use almost any infusion set
4. Can set reminders (BG & Bolus)
5. Comes with Freestyle Flash meter, which attaches to pump
6. Good customer service
7. Can download/upload data to/from pump
8. Upgrades often done free & "in the field" - no getting "refurbs"
9. Can insert used battery
10. Easy to find AAA batteries. They now have Lithium AAA available! YEA!
11. Cool colors available
12. Sturdy pump
13. Offers a variety of bolus options (Standard, extended, combination), and IOB feature
14. Can change Insulin to sugar factor and other features (I.e. IOB), "on the fly"
15. Waterproof
16. Has time and current insulin rate on "screen saver"
17. Can customize delivery and other settings (i.e. set Boluses to deliver from over 1 to 5 mins)
18. Can correct for high sugars based on user-determined input of Insulin to sugar ratios (I.e. how many points will one unit of insulin decrease blood sugar)

DELTEC/Smiths Medical Cons:

1. If alkaline AAA batteries are used, the battery life may not be as long
2. No remote
3. Some do not care for feel of the pump (some say it’s shaped oddly)
4. The software needs to be upgraded so better charts & graphs can be made/used (as Koblenz has mentioned in the past)

ANIMAS Pros:

1. Extremely small pump
2. Large display screen
3. Very user friendly (and cool sounding alarm tones, lol)!
4. Universal Luer-Lock connection - can use almost any infusion set
5. Can set bolus reminders & BG test reminders
6. May soon be able to customize (pending release of software & upgrade)
7. Working on release of Micro-Pump (end of 2007)
8. Longest Battery Life of all pumps (8 weeks or more) AA Lithium
9. Offers Normal, CarbSmart, EasyBG, and Combo boluses
10. Can set desired insulin delivery speed (normal or slower)
11. Excellent customer service!
12. Cool color covers (and customizable ones! )
13. Can adjust contrast (good for users with vision problems!)
14. Working with Lifescan to release CGMS (possibly for use in conjunction with pump)
15. Waterproof
16. Can customize battery type being used (i.e. Lithium, Alkaline, etc...) and can insert used battery without “alarming”

ANIMAS Cons:

1. No Remote
2. No Monitor to link to yet...
3. Software not customizable yet
4. Some users have complained of stinging when blousing (due to swift delivery), but can be remedied with an extended or combo bolus)

MINIMED Pros:

1. Comes with meter, 522/722 work with the CGMS - communicates via RF
2. Has remote (sold separately)
3. Can choose to either use 515/522 with 1.8ml res. or 715/722 with 3ml
4. Has “Indiglo” backlight
5. Small pump
6. Cool colors available
7. Has clock and battery life on "screen saver"
8. Now has pump to sensor communication (instead of using separate meter)
9. Battery life decent
10. Sturdy pumps
11. Insulin On Board feature (IOB) (customizable on 515/715 & 522/722)
12. Multiple bolus options (regular, dual wave, square wave - similar to Cozmo's)
13. Now offers “skins” to put on pumps
14. Has multiple bolus options (Dual Wave, Square Wave, Normal, etc.) & Bolus Wizard
15. Has IOB (insulin on board feature)
16. More good features with each new release…
17. Can set reminders (for Blood Glucose & Bolus)
18. Easy to find AAA batteries.

MINIMED Cons:

1. Remote available (which is a pro), but may be a little steep to some on price ($150)
2. Not Waterproof
3. Some have experienced customer service issues from time to time
4. Complaints about inability to use meter/pump communications on flights. (not a big deal, but may be frustrating to some users).

The cons I’ve listed for each pump/company were discussed at one time or another. Most of the cons have never been a major issue for me, but they may be a factor for some users...Again, I'm trying to be objective as possible, but some of the pros are things that either I or others have experienced personally from each company.

Feel free to ask questions and add your own lists - but remember, play nicely please!

[Funnygrl]

Two other things I really liked about Cozmo:
1. Can memorize boluses for certain situations (ie, pizza: 70/30 split over 4 hours) and same for temp basals (ie, running, 25% for 30 minutes).
2. Stores literally everything in the history.

One thing I don't like:
No good carrying case when cozmonitor is in use.

Some charts that compare pumps:

Google Base: Insulin Pump Comparison

Compare insulin pumps for diabetes

Integrated Diabetes Services - Diabetes Management

http://www.diabeteshealth.com/media/...Guide-0506.pdf

Pump Manufactors
Accu-chek
Animas
Deltec
Nipro
Omnipod
Minimed

[flash]

What is a Luer Lock and how can you use any infusion set with it ?
Does Cozmo have the luer lock and can I use my mini med quick sets
on the cozmo pump, or a pump with the luer locks ?

Flash

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by flash

What is a Luer Lock and how can you use any infusion set with it ?
Does Cozmo have the luer lock and can I use my mini med quick sets
on the cozmo pump, or a pump with the luer locks ?

Flash

Hi Flash,

Pictured below are the Standard Luer Lock connectors (on infusion sets) and the MM Paradigm series connector on MM's Quick Sets:

I also want to point out that with the recent creation of the "ThinSet Reservoirs" (for Paradigm pumps), MM pumpers can now use Luer Lock sets as well.

The Cozmo does use Standard Luer lock sets & MM Quick Sets can be used with it, provided they have the standard connection, as pictured on the left (i.e. sets made for 50x series of MM pumps).

Hope this helps!

[flash]

Thank you Dewey ! I think I'm getting it, the Mini Med Reservoirs were too wide to fit the Luer Locks on various infusion sets. Does the Luer Lock help in the delivery of insulin or is it just that you can use different infusion sets with various insulin pumps ?

Flash

[JediSkipdogg]

Originally Posted by flash

Does the Luer Lock help in the delivery of insulin or is it just that you can use different infusion sets with various insulin pumps ?

The Luer Lock is a very common medical connection used everywhere in the medical community. It's because it's so simple with just a twist that you don't have to worry about it "unsnapping" so to speak. Minimed use to use the standard Luer Lock but in my opinion, wanted to keep customers from leaving them once Animas and Minimed came into the market, so they switched to the proprietary connection. People who liked MM would stay with them and upgrade their pump and be forced to choose a new infusion set. Then they would like that set and be forced to stay with MM.

In my opinion, there is really no advantage of one over the other. They both work quite well. If you asked me 2 years ago, I would have said stay away from the Proprietary Minimed Connector as they only had a handful of infusion sets to work with it. Now, they have seen their drawback as people left them, so they are making more and more sets and one company has created the Luer Lock insulin cartridge for Minimed. There is still a larger amount of infusion sets in Luer Lock and some that more like than others, the Inset is one, which is a 90 degree canula and inserter all in one. So no more having to remember to take your inserter with you.

Just my 2 cents on the issue.

[flash]

Thankyou Jedi and Dewey, I understand it much better now !

Flash

[barbarac]

Thanks. Good charts and lists. I didn't know I could adjust the contrast on my animas--can see much better now!! Thanks.

[Dewey]

This was asked about in another thread, so I just wanted to share some pics of the Animas/Cozmo, side by side:




Per the second picture, the Cozmo seems to be a little thicker than the Animas, but I assure you, not by much. Per the first one, you can see that the Animas is a little wider across the front. Really, there's not a lot of difference between the two in size, if the meter part isn't worn on the Cozmo.

That said, Animas is working on the release of the Micro Pump, which should be out by Q4 of 07 (barring any problems). Cozmo/Smiths Medical is also planning to release (in the very near future - by year's end) upgraded pumps that will have software integrated for use with the Abbott Navigator CGMS system (which will also be released soon).

Again, I cannot stress enough that it is ALL about personal preference. What may work for one, may or may not work for others.

[Funnygrl]

Dew, when you say the Cozmo will work with the Navigator, will that be in a Paradigm 522 kind of way, or how?

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by Funnygrl

Dew, when you say the Cozmo will work with the Navigator, will that be in a Paradigm 522 kind of way, or how?

I think it will be similar to the 522 type system, but not sure how the two will work together. Since I've not seen a physical image of how the two will communicate, I can't really give better detail.

[melissata]

If you feel like putting any more pictures here, I sure would love to see the Cozmo WITH the meter attached. I haven't seen a Cosmo since they first came out, and there was no meter then. If you don't want to take a picture can you tell me how much thicker it makes the pump? 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch...Thanks.

[egi]

I think the meter adds less than 0.5" (unfortunately our insurance doesn't
cover the Freestyle, so we can't use it if we don't want to pay the $1000
a year difference from the One Touch).

You might want to find out if your insurance cover the Freestyle test strips
the same way it covers whatever you are currently using.

[melissata]

Thanks, I did ask when I called, but I had a dimwit, that would only tell me that they covered "most of them". It is new insurance and doesn't start until January, so I will need to be sure that they cover the strips. I may call the durable medical that I am going to be using. They will know for sure.

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by melissata

If you feel like putting any more pictures here, I sure would love to see the Cozmo WITH the meter attached. I haven't seen a Cosmo since they first came out, and there was no meter then. If you don't want to take a picture can you tell me how much thicker it makes the pump? 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch...Thanks.

Sorry it took so long (had to look in my archives to find the pics I snapped, lol), but here's a pic of the Cozmo with meter attached (on left & without on right):


The second shows a closer-up, but this time, the shot with the meter attached is on the right (rather than the left). Note the black battery cap, made to help hold meter in place:

The meter's no thicker than a couple of sticks of gum, but some do complain that it adds a little extra bulk. Hope these help and sorry it took so long to find them!