Omnipod 5 vs Medtrum Nano

[Liltzero]

Hi there I was hoping to get some advice if possible. My daughter (age 12 with Type 1) is moving on to a pump. She's very conscious of the size etc so is interested in a tubeless one. She actually likes the Medtrum Nano which is very small indeed but the local NHS trust only offer the Omnipod 5 for children. They do offer the Nano for adults so have agreed to consider whether it would be possible for her to have the Nano. I do need to make a case though and wondered if anyone had any knowledge about how they compare eg do they carry similar amounts of insulin etc? Relative pros and cons.

Thanks so much for your help - it's quite difficult to get the info without going through loads of sales calls!

 

[rebrascora]

I believe @helli has the Medtrum Nano, so hopefully now that I have tagged her she will see this and give you the benefit of her experience. Good luck to you are your daughter finding a system that she is happy and comfortable with.

 

[Inka]

Apart from listening to @helli and Omnipod users - @nonethewiser is one - I recommend her going to a pump handling session, if the hospital have one. This would allow her to see and hold all the pumps on offer. Also - and in lieu of that - make lists with all the features filled in for each pump. You don’t have to go through sales. The websites list their size, capacity, minimum increments, etc, so just make your own comparison chart. YouTube is also a good source of videos so you can get a look at them. I’d ignore the waffle and just watch the videos.

Is she hoping to loop with it?

 

[helli]

I do indeed have the Medtrum and have been using it for nearly 4 years.
Like your daughter, I am very conscious of size (maybe because I am not much bigger than some 12 year olds). My first pump was a tubey one which was always on display so when it came up for replacement time I pleaded for the Omnipod but my clinic considered it too expensive. However, they were offered a free Medtrum trial and asked if I wanted to take it up.
I would not say it has been a smooth ride. There have been some quality issues. However, the Medtrum team have been amazing when it comes to resolving issues. And they have recently bought out a low power version which is much more stable - I have had no issues since converting to it. This is worth bearing in mind when reading reviews - most will be based on the previous version.
I can not provide a comparison from a user perspective because I have never used the OmniPod. On paper, the benefits of Medtrum are
- smaller
- can be managed via a phone app so there is no need to carry around a separate pdm
- they have a cheap CGM. Today this does not provide full closed loop but that is expected by the end of the year. Currently, it provides auto-suspend (stops basal when my BG gets too low). Unlike Libre, it can be calibrated and uses the same app as the pump. I chose to self fund this even though I could get Libre on prescription.
- if your daughter does not have a phone (or if school will not allow one in class), there is a single PdM for both the pump and CGM.

 

[helli]

Is she hoping to loop with it?

I am guessing not as looping is not currently available for Medtrum although they hope to have it by the end of the year as it is going through trial at the moment.

 

[Liltzero]

Thank you for all the super helpful responses. I hadn’t realised that the Nano is not a closed loop system. I assumed it was the same as Omnipod from all the sales blurb on the web.
One further question if I may- does the Omnipod not work with a smartphone? I thought it did but it is all a bit confusing!!

 

[nonethewiser]

Thank you for all the super helpful responses. I hadn’t realised that the Nano is not a closed loop system. I assumed it was the same as Omnipod from all the sales blurb on the web.
One further question if I may- does the Omnipod not work with a smartphone? I thought it did but it is all a bit confusing!!

Still using Dash it doesn't work with Smartphone.

Haven't changed over to Omnipod 5 yet despite starting on Dexcom G6 few months back, up until now pods have always held 200u of insulin & last 3 days before needing to be replaced, there's an 8 hour window to change them so no urgency on day 3.

 

[tim2000s]

I've used the Medtrum Nano pumps for a few months. I think one thing to bear in mind given your daughter's age is that the Nano pump is a steel cannula at 90° whereas the Omnipod is teflon at 45°.

While the nano cannula is only about 5mm long, steel may cause issues if there's not much body fat. Historically, steel has always been changed at 2 days instead of 3 as well, because the sharp point used for insertion can cause tissue damage and increase scar tissue.

The Medtrum is designed to be worn for three days, but I've seen no data from them supporting why this is now okay.

Thank you for all the super helpful responses. I hadn’t realised that the Nano is not a closed loop system. I assumed it was the same as Omnipod from all the sales blurb on the web.
One further question if I may- does the Omnipod not work with a smartphone? I thought it did but it is all a bit confusing!!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I've used the Medtrum Nano pumps for a few months.

Hi Tim! Nice to “see” you again.

Interesting to hear you are now on the Nano.

Trust all is well with you generally 🙂