Hi, my insulin pump is due for an upgrade and I have to decide by next week (I've put off the decision for months!). I have used Medtronic for the last 8 years but have been told if I want to use a "closed loop" system I will have to change to either the Dana RS, Tslim Tandem or Ominpod pump. My diabetic nurse has told me that Dexcom CGM is soon to be approved by the NHS in certain areas and these 3 pumps will be compatible with it. Does anyone have any experience with the Dana or Tslim pumps? (I think Omipod will be too different to what I am used to!) I've spent ages researching them both and still don't know which to choose! Thanks 🙂
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Dana RS or Tslim Tandem with Dexcom?
- Thread starter Squeen
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Hi thanks for your reply. My main criteria is to have a tubed pump that is similar to the Medtronic 640 in terms of use, with things like metal cannulas in the infusion sets and easy reservoir changes. Other than that I'm looking at what the options are for looping with the pump in the future. I've not had a lot of success with Libre, but I've been told there might be potential to connect it with the Dana RS. Then I've also been told Dexcom will be available soon with the Tslim, so I'm just trying to weigh up the best options really. 🙂
Inka
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- Type 1
Hi @Squeen I have the Dana RS and love it! It’s a fantastic little pump. I don’t loop with it but I know a number of people at my clinic do. It’s the most popular pump at my clinic out of the 6 they offer. It has a great variety of cannulas, including steel, Teflon, angled cannulas, and even rotating ones.
It’s a tough little pump and very reliable. I control mine using my phone, which is extremely convenient. It holds 300 units of insulin yet is very small. You can loop with it using Open APS or using its own official loop.
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Welcome to the forum @Squeen
I switched from MM640 to Tandem tSlim, initially with Basal IQ (quite like Medtronic’s predictive low glucose suspend), and then upgrading to Control IQ. One of the nice things about the tSlim is that you can opt to update the pump software as new versions are released rather than having to wait for a new pump. Control IQ is Tandem’s hybrid loop, with bolus and basal increases if BG levels are rising along with predictive suspends.
All the main infusion set varieties are offered on tSlim, but there aren’t multiple choices of each, so it’s perhaps a slightly narrower choice of infusion sets (mostly Mio-style self inserting), but steel ones and manual insert teflon too.
The pump is much smaller and neater than Medtronic, and has a pretty well thought-out and user-friendly menu system with a full colour touchscreen. The reservoirs are a little bit more fiddly to fill, but the benefit of the smaller pump size massively outweighs that once you get used to it.
If you have a smartphone, you can download a tSlim emulator app and have a look round all the menus and get a feel for how everything is laid out, which I found really helpful before making my decision.
It’s a very individual decision, and any pump/sensor combo will have things about it that drive you crackers, but I think tSlim and Dexcom is probably the best combination of tech I’ve used, and my Time in Range has never been better 🙂
I switched from MM640 to Tandem tSlim, initially with Basal IQ (quite like Medtronic’s predictive low glucose suspend), and then upgrading to Control IQ. One of the nice things about the tSlim is that you can opt to update the pump software as new versions are released rather than having to wait for a new pump. Control IQ is Tandem’s hybrid loop, with bolus and basal increases if BG levels are rising along with predictive suspends.
All the main infusion set varieties are offered on tSlim, but there aren’t multiple choices of each, so it’s perhaps a slightly narrower choice of infusion sets (mostly Mio-style self inserting), but steel ones and manual insert teflon too.
The pump is much smaller and neater than Medtronic, and has a pretty well thought-out and user-friendly menu system with a full colour touchscreen. The reservoirs are a little bit more fiddly to fill, but the benefit of the smaller pump size massively outweighs that once you get used to it.
If you have a smartphone, you can download a tSlim emulator app and have a look round all the menus and get a feel for how everything is laid out, which I found really helpful before making my decision.
It’s a very individual decision, and any pump/sensor combo will have things about it that drive you crackers, but I think tSlim and Dexcom is probably the best combination of tech I’ve used, and my Time in Range has never been better 🙂
Thank you for your information, it is really helpful 🙂
martindt1606
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- Type 3c
I switched from Animas to Tslim when Animas left the UK market. Tslim with Dexcom (Control IQ) is pretty clever technology. Got the CGM as I was regularly having night time hypos. Now no matter what my BS is when I go to bed I flat line from about 3am at around 5.5. I have been using a Tandem data uploader for about 12 months it provides easy understandable graphs and reports however as far as i am aware still not available for general use. Had the pump 2.5 years and have only upgraded once when control IQ released, the software upgrade functionality sounds good but not expecting another upgrade whilst I have this pump.
I have 3 gripes:
1. I use trusteel infusion and have to change insulin reservoir every 2 days - this process is way more difficult than the animas was.
2. Every 2 days i lose control of my BS after the first Bolus following an infusion change. Airliquide won't consider that there could be an issue.
3. last week for the second time I had a data error. Luckily I had uploaded data 6 days earlier so on line i only have a 6 day gap but now on the pump my daily usage and averages have all gone. Airliquide said its an error that never happens and that there was no reason to change pump as insulin delivery still working (see 2 above......). Currently confidence levels not at highest.
Note overnight control far out weighs the 3 issues above.
I have 3 gripes:
1. I use trusteel infusion and have to change insulin reservoir every 2 days - this process is way more difficult than the animas was.
2. Every 2 days i lose control of my BS after the first Bolus following an infusion change. Airliquide won't consider that there could be an issue.
3. last week for the second time I had a data error. Luckily I had uploaded data 6 days earlier so on line i only have a 6 day gap but now on the pump my daily usage and averages have all gone. Airliquide said its an error that never happens and that there was no reason to change pump as insulin delivery still working (see 2 above......). Currently confidence levels not at highest.
Note overnight control far out weighs the 3 issues above.
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