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New pumps

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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May Rhymer

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hello all,
Help please, we're confused about the more technical answers.
Is there a pump that connects to your Libre Senor 2 which releases or suspends your insulin accordingly without you having to adjust.
Hope this makes sense.
Many thanks
May
 
You’d be looking at a DIY loop, I think @May Rhymer What choice of pumps do you have? Are you able to fund a CGM? That would be the better option IMO.
 
Hi @May Rhymer your question makes perfect sense
I *think* I have read somewhere that OmniPod are looking to integrate with the Libre but, to my knowledge, no pumps link to it today unless you go down the DIY route s @Inka mentioned.

Do you have a pump or looking to get one?
If you are considering one, please discuss this with your diabetes team. Not all pumps are available from all CCGs. For example, apart from a few very rare exceptions, my CCG offers Medtronic pumps only. When I enquired about the OmniPod, they told me it was too expensive and they would rather use their budget to offer Medtronic pumps to more patients.
 
Sorry, as stated, we're struggling to understand some of the jargon, responses and abbreviations. I'm not being critical, we just don't have sufficient knowledge to make sense of your reply (our fault).
If possible, I just want a basic answer to establish if such a pump exists.
 
May Rhymer said:
Sorry, as stated, we're struggling to understand some of the jargon, responses and abbreviations. I'm not being critical, we just don't have sufficient knowledge to make sense of your reply (our fault).
If possible, I just want a basic answer to establish if such a pump exists.
Click to expand...
Without some unofficial hack (called "DIY loop") no such pump exists today.
There are pumps that provide this capability with other Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) such as Dexcom.

But, I cannot stress how important it is to talk to your diabetes team if you are looking to get a pump and ask them what they (your Clinical Commissioning Group or CCG ... typically your hospital or a group of hospitals) offer. There is no point setting your heart on a pump and then discovering it is not available.
 
helli said:
Hi @May Rhymer your question makes perfect sense
I *think* I have read somewhere that OmniPod are looking to integrate with the Libre but, to my knowledge, no pumps link to it today unless you go down the DIY route s @Inka mentioned.

Do you have a pump or looking to get one?
If you are considering one, please discuss this with your diabetes team. Not all pumps are available from all CCGs. For example, apart from a few very rare exceptions, my CCG offers Medtronic pumps only. When I enquired about the OmniPod, they told me it was too expensive and they would rather use their budget to offer Medtronic pumps to more patients.
Click to expand...
Ok, that makes sense now.
I think we will wait to see what the future holds and look at a pump next year.
Many thanks for your replies, much appreciated.
Regards
May
 
May Rhymer said:
Ok, that makes sense now.
I think we will wait to see what the future holds and look at a pump next year.
Many thanks for your replies, much appreciated.
Regards
May
Click to expand...
It can take quite a few months to get a pump. I strongly recommend talking to your diabetes team and get your name on the list ... or find out if they will consider funding a pump for you ... as soon as possible if you want one next year.
 
May Rhymer said:
Sorry, as stated, we're struggling to understand some of the jargon, responses and abbreviations. I'm not being critical, we just don't have sufficient knowledge to make sense of your reply (our fault).
If possible, I just want a basic answer to establish if such a pump exists.
Click to expand...

A ‘loop’ is a connection between a CGM (sensor that reads your blood sugar continuously) and a pump. It sometimes needs a ‘middle man’ - an additional component to allow the loop to work. It can be a closed loop (works automatically) or an open loop (controlled by the person).

The idea of it is just as you said - to respond to your blood sugar by releasing more insulin if high, less if low. So, kind of like an artificial pancreas.

My pump is a DANA RS. If I could afford a Dexcom CGM, I could then download a loop system (software program) to link my Dexcom and pump in a kind of feedback loop where the pump responds to my blood sugar.

If you’re not techy then your options would be to wait for a pump that can loop with the Libre or use a proper CGM like Dexcom.

As you’ve yet to get a pump, the best thing to do would be to research them all so you have an idea of what each can do and which one would suit you best.
 
Many thanks Inka, I think we now have a much better understanding. Your response was really clear, again, many thanks to you all.
Regards
May
 
I am not aware of any such pumps that talk directly and react to what your Libre 2 sensor is reading.
To be honest the technologies do exist to measure your blood sugar level ie L2 and there is a insulin delivery system ie a pump but for now it needs the human to link the two together, but one day quite soon maybe.
 
Admittedly on a temporary basis, I am lucky enough to be funded for Hybrid Closed Loop with the Medtronic 780G. The G3 sensor measures interstitial glucose every 5 minutes and the pump responds according to its algorithm. As the consultant told me, it is totally automatic: "You can't do anything and I can't do anything, we have to leave it to do what it can do." What it does is not always what one would expect, but it is pretty clever. There is a considerable variation in basal rate from day to day and bolus rates are adjusted to what it "thinks" best. As I said to the consultant, it is about as good as it gets. So far the trial is limited to only a few people, but I have written to the new Head of NHS to suggest it is the shape of the future and needs more funding.
 
That's very interesting @JohnWhi.
Although it measures the interstitial glucose every 5 mins those readings are some 15mins behind what a blood test would say which is what your body would be reacting too. That makes for a complicated algorithm to keep abreast of your levels.
Out of interest what happens if you go LO or HY or is that just not possible under this system, but it certainly does seem like it is the future.
 
As I know from years of using Libre, the two readings can be very different, particularly if they are rising or falling rapidly. Most of the time, they seem to correspond fairly well. (More so with G3 than with Libre.) The software requires calibration with an Accu-Chek Guide Link meter, at least twice a day, and more frequently if it "thinks" something is wrong. If you go high, it delivers Auto Corrections that tend to restore the level after a time. If you go very high you have an alarm and a message along the lines of "Check the pump and infusion set". It is not impossible to go low and, apart from cutting off all insulin delivery, there is not a great deal it can do, though it sends an alarm. I tend manually to pause delivery if involved in anything strenuous. The algorithm is not always perfect, but it seems to "know" more than I have learned in 40 years on insulin.
 
Thanks for the update @JohnWhi. I use the Omni-Dash pump system and if that could be linked up like your system that would be great too.
One of the pluses of my pump is that it is wireless and tubeless which I do appreciate. I just have a "matchbox" stuck to my thigh, tum or arm but we get on well. Same goes for my L2 which for rotation purposes I tend to stick on the same body side eg one in my thigh and one in my upper arm.
I think I'll Google for some more information I'm intrigued.

Best
 
mark king said:
Thanks for the update @JohnWhi. I use the Omni-Dash pump system and if that could be linked up like your system that would be great too.
One of the pluses of my pump is that it is wireless and tubeless which I do appreciate. I just have a "matchbox" stuck to my thigh, tum or arm but we get on well. Same goes for my L2 which for rotation purposes I tend to stick on the same body side eg one in my thigh and one in my upper arm.
I think I'll Google for some more information I'm intrigued.

Best
Click to expand...
Two more of our members SB2015 and @everydayupsanddowns are also on closed loop systems but I think they both self fund the sensors which are pretty expensive but the systems are very clever. I think Mike is using a different pump and sensor combination to @JohnWhi. I believe he has the Tslim and uses Dexcom sensors. I am sure he will correct me if I am wrong.

I think I have read of Omnipod looking at linking up with a variety of sensors including Libre in their next generation of pumps, but it could be years away yet.
 
rebrascora said:
I think Mike is using a different pump and sensor combination to @JohnWhi. I believe he has the Tslim and uses Dexcom sensors. I am sure he will correct me if I am wrong.
Click to expand...

No that’s quite right @rebrascora

I believe the next incarnation of Omnipod (Horizon), which is due for release ’soon’, will integrate with a number of alternative CGMs, including Libre2 if that’s of interest @mark king

diatribe.org

Omnipod Horizon System to Integrate Freestyle Libre 2, G6, and G7 CGMs

Insulet partners with Abbott and Dexcom to develop Omnipod Horizon systems
diatribe.org diatribe.org
 
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