30 years of the Novopen

[Matt Cycle]

Searching through a drawer the other week I found my original Novopen from 1987. It is a bit primitive by todays standards - 1.5ml Actrapid cartridges, no dial up scale (one push equalled 2 units) but it's a fantastic piece of well-made engineering. I used this same one without problem for about 10 years until I upgraded.

Reading on the internet it's the 30th anniversary of it this year as it was introduced in 1985 and apparently 95% of insulin users in Europe, Asia, Australia and Scandinavia now use insulin pens. From vials and syringes to pens - what a simple but great invention.

 

[HOBIE]

I had one of them ! Different colour for night time dose. Just shows how tech is getting better

 

[trophywench]

I actually found my old Humulin pens from the mid 80s the other day! I shuddered, and slung them!

 

[Bloden]

My cousin's wife told me the first pens were designed by Bang and Olufsen - I'm VERY grateful. Big needles are not something I'd look forward to every day.😱

 

[Matt Cycle]

My cousin's wife told me the first pens were designed by Bang and Olufsen - I'm VERY grateful. Big needles are not something I'd look forward to every day.😱

That would make sense with both being Danish companies and the design is very good - very sleek. It wasn't really the needles that bothered me as I started with plastic disposable syringes but the inconvenience of having to draw up insulin from a bottle into a syringe (making sure there were no bubbles). Not very easy at all if you were out and about somewhere. 😱 A pen is much more discreet and easier to carry than a bottle and syringe.

 

[kevin the gerbil]

I have been type 1 since boxing day 1959 with the old glass syringe 3/4inch needles in them days you had to sterilized them ever so often in a pan of hot water the insulin was from cattle or I was on insulin suspension lente one inj daily I went to London for a while and the doctor suggested I had two inj daily as time want on I went on nova rapid and lantas glargine

 

[trophywench]

Porcine Lente, from the Welcome Foundation! 80u/ml. Colour code - shocking pink and lime green. Lovely and cheerful !

I shall always of course have a soft spot for them - bearing in mind they saved my life!

 

[Worcester_Matt]

I have been type 1 since boxing day 1959 with the old glass syringe 3/4inch needles in them days you had to sterilized them ever so often in a pan of hot water the insulin was from cattle or I was on insulin suspension lente one inj daily I went to London for a while and the doctor suggested I had two inj daily as time want on I went on nova rapid and lantas glargine

Wow, I can't imagine how it must have been to be faced with diabetes in 1959. I grumble at the injections now, it must be a bit of a doddle now.

 

[Flower]

The introduction of the Novopen was such a breakthrough compared to syringes and vials, I can remember getting my first Novopen and feeling like James Bond with some amazing piece of technology. It was tough luck if you needed less than 2 units of insulin but it was great to have something that didn't look so medical.

 

[Matt Cycle]

The introduction of the Novopen was such a breakthrough compared to syringes and vials, I can remember getting my first Novopen and feeling like James Bond with some amazing piece of technology. It was tough luck if you needed less than 2 units of insulin but it was great to have something that didn't look so medical.

You're right - it was like one of James Bond's gadgets. For those who don't know here's a couple of photos of mine next to my NovoRapid flexpen.

Design classic. (Flexpen in Dutch as it's a parallel import with a sticker in English on the other side - must be the CCG saving money!)

Not ready for action with used cartridge and ancient needle. No dial up and one push was 2 units - so you had to remember how many times you had pressed it.

 

[Barb]

I was heartbroken when the original metal Novopen was discontinued. It may have had some faults but it LOOKED like a pen and was discreet. Take the top off the new Novopen Echo and you're faced with ugly plastic and it clearly looks like a medical device. I wouldn't swap my Echo for any other current pen but the design leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[Matt Cycle]

My rather sad collection of Novopens. (No, I'm not a trainspotter as well - with apologies to any trainspotters on here). Here's the ones I've got in order from the top: Novopen, Novopen 3, Novopen 4 and Novo Flexpen. I never had a Novopen 2 and I believe they're up to Novopen 5 now. For me the original wins for style rather than content - slightly unfair though as the others have 3ml cartridges making them fatter and the Flexpen is disposable.

 

[trophywench]

Ah - the ones I slung, were plastic - one dark blue and the other, maroon. Novorapid in the blue, Levemir in the maroon.

Hated Flexpens - cheap and nasty flimsy things - and a LOT more recycling every week = BAD.