Developing new injection device - want to help?

Tondup · #1 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 02:02 AM

Hi

We are two graduate students at The Technical University of Denmark doing our master thesis in product development and innovation. Our project aims at developing a future device for insulin injection. We believe very much in user involvement and we would appreciate if you would like to tell us about your experiences with existing devices e.g. insulin pens, syringes, pumps. What works and what doesn't, do you miss special functionalities or maybe you have developed your own methods? We are very much interested in your opinion, tell us what is on your mind! Your help is very important to us and we are great full for every comment you make. thanks Jacob & Rasmus

UpNorth · #2 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 02:59 AM

A pen like Novopen 4 that could hold all brands of pencartridges would be great! It's really annoying when you have an insulin that works very well, but don't have a device you like to inject with. I changed from Lantus to Levemir for mainly this reason... I HATED the pens Lantus came in... Luckily Levemir works very well for me, i'd say it probably works even better than Lantus did

gambi · #3 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 03:18 AM

I'll appologive ahead of time, its early and I'm grumpy. People with diabetes are not afraid of needles and pens. We do not have an issue with injecting! If people are going to put money into research of developing ways to manage it or make it easier - there's no point. JUST CURE IT.

Sorry.

owlyn · #4 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 03:37 AM

Lilly just developed a pen that keeps track of the last several doses in memory. There is a major problem with it- it can't withstand any changes in temperature or humidity, as condensation forms on the electronics and causes problems. Their reccommendation for this problem is to keep the pen as close to room temperature (20 C) as possible. This defeats the prupose of a pen- portability and convenience. Fix that, and you'll have something useful.

ant hill · #5 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 04:09 AM

What would be a good thing is a pen that records time, Date, Dose, And a alarm. Most often than not that we can forget if we had the injection so basicly a reminder that we had it or not. Can you imagine that you did have the injection and think did I or didn't I *One scratches head* Also have the insulin cool and in the dark too.
There has been instances of having the injection twice!!! And have the fun of covering for that mistake.
Also when you're low we tend to have memory lapse and that do confuse the **** out of you.

As for the pumps and CGMS should talk to each other like the person were to have a low and have the CGMS to shut down the pump and restart it once that the BG's comes to normal levels. But that's the current modifications on todays systems as newer technology comes to surface to us then what I have just said may well be imitated.

xMenace · #6 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tondup

Hi

We are two graduate students at The Technical University of Denmark doing our master thesis in product development and innovation. Our project aims at developing a future device for insulin injection. We believe very much in user involvement and we would appreciate if you would like to tell us about your experiences with existing devices e.g. insulin pens, syringes, pumps. What works and what doesn't, do you miss special functionalities or maybe you have developed your own methods? We are very much interested in your opinion, tell us what is on your mind! Your help is very important to us and we are great full for every comment you make. thanks Jacob & Rasmus

Do you have any links or references?

Stuboy · #7 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 05:28 AM

I disagree with gambi that money shouldn't be spent on developing new insulin pens. Im all for a cure naturally, but in the mean time we still have to manage and put up with having diabetes and taking injections, anything that makes it better is a plus, from ease of use right down to style.

I absolutly LOVE the idea of the digital pen, for recording date/time, dose... and an alarm (or 2, for those who take basal twice daily)... excellent!
At the same time, i think the pen should look stylish, after all we have to carry it around with us everywhere we go, personally i dont like cheapy looking plasticy pen that breaks very easily... autopen24 being a prime example, i've only been D for 18months and i've already broke 2, and the dose numbers have rubbed off on another. The Novopens are complete opposite... very robust, stylish and imposible to rub off the numbers. As someone said in another thread i read recently, i think the novopen is the "mercedes" of insulin pens currently.

Another important feature i'd like, is the ability to also dial half units, for those who are very sensitive to insulin, 1 extra dose can sometimes be too much, but one less is not enough.

And again, 1pen that fits all cartridges... i think that could possibly be acheived but using two different cartridge surrounds. Again i'll use autopen verses novopen... the needle is screwed directly onto the cartride surround on the autopen, whereas with a novopen, the needle is screwed directly onto the cartridge.

I believe different insulin cartridges have slightly different internal dimensions though, which could prove tricky ensuring the correct dose is delivered by one pen for all.

A few thoughts there!

JediSurfer · #8 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 05:32 AM

A self cooling device would be pretty cool. But apart from that I can't think of anything. Most of the problems with diabetes are due to the insulin itself. delivery is not really an issue for me. Maybe something which is actually pen sized rather than the huge thing we use at the moment. The size of the pens has hardly changed since they were first developed. I think a scaled down version of the ones we already have would be nice.

mortis505 · #9 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 08:23 AM

I would like to see a CGMS device thats built into the infusion set, derives its power from the pump, and doesnt cost an am and a leg in the course of a year.

It can even transmit the data over a wire to the pump. It also needs to be able to be removed easily for baths, swimming, etc.

metamarty · #10 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 09:38 AM

I currently own and use both the novopen 3 and 4. These are already excellent in quality and use. The only thing I really mis, like mentioned above, is finer control over the dose. The novo pens only work with whole units. I'm very sensitive and usually require 2 or 3 units at a time and I really often need 2.5. It would be great if novo nordisk or any other party came out with a "sensitive" pen that only goes from 1 to 10, but in small steps. My novo pens go to 60 units, which is more than I use in one week.

notme · #11 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 09:49 AM

I am still waiting for the pump that has a Continuous Glucose Monitor and canula all in one. There are a lot of improvements that could be made in pumps and pens. I would love a pump like the OmniPod that doesn't have such a HUGE pod to attach to the body. Even if the pod was larger but thinner so it didn't protrude from clothes, would be awsome! I have never used a pen, so I can't comment. Self cooling is a great idea.

UpNorth · #12 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metamarty

I currently own and use both the novopen 3 and 4. These are already excellent in quality and use. The only thing I really mis, like mentioned above, is finer control over the dose. The novo pens only work with whole units. I'm very sensitive and usually require 2 or 3 units at a time and I really often need 2.5. It would be great if novo nordisk or any other party came out with a "sensitive" pen that only goes from 1 to 10, but in small steps. My novo pens go to 60 units, which is more than I use in one week.

You could try Novopen Junior or Demi... those have half units

metamarty · #13 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UpNorth

You could try Novopen Junior or Demi... those have half units

Oh, great! I didn't know that. I've always liked the appearance of the junior better than the plain regular one

Hope the insurance will allow me to get yet another pen!

UpNorth · #14 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metamarty

Oh, great! I didn't know that. I've always liked the appearance of the junior better than the plain regular one

Hope the insurance will allow me to get yet another pen!

I hope you can get one of them

JediSkipdogg · #15 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 02:43 PM

I'm a pump user but I can say for a pen here's what I would love....

A smart pen. One that will hold two types of insulins in one pen. This can either be done by removed the cartridge on the back and it accepting a new one or by taking half cartridges. The last I checked the cartridges were round. Why not split it down the middle? Then you can have your long and short acting in the same pen. There would still also be the option of placing one full size cartridge in the pen.

Then with modern RFID technology each cartridge could have a small chip in it to detect what type of insulin is in and on a micro LCD display it would show which one you are about to inject and you can program the units in and it gives it. This pen will be slightly larger than modern pens, but still nice enough to fit in a pocket. The display would also be able to tell the last say 10 doses and the time of day they were given.

Geee, is that too much to ask for in the age where a device the size of my watch can hold 10,000 songs or videos and play them back?

Maybe Apple truely should move into the medical community. LOL