By, Gary Scheiner MS, CDE
Greetings from AADE (American Association of Diabetes Educators) in sunny San Diego! This year’s annual meeting drew nearly 4000 diabetes care professionals as well as more than 100 companies serving the diabetes industry. Among the more exciting developments was the unveiling of Medtronic’s new 630G insulin pump, which received FDA clearance just a few days ago. I had a chance to “play around” with the new pump, and here’s what I learned:
Some things haven’t changed.
Don’t confuse the 630G with the 640G, which is available in Europe. 640G includes an automated feature for preventing hypoglycemia by curtailing basal insulin delivery when the integrated sensor predicts that a low may occur soon. The 630G works similarly to the 530G (currently available in the States), which suspends basal insulin once a low has already occurred. So we’re still a long way from a fully-automated closed-loop system, folks. The 630G also uses the same Enlite sensor that we’ve been using for the past several years. So PLEASE refrain from calling this an “artificial pancreas”. A pancreas does a heck of a lot more than stop secreting insulin in a state of hypoglycemia. Heck… any pancreas worth its weight wouldn’t allow hypoglycemia to occur in the first place!
A lot has changed.
There is a lot that is “new and improved” with the 630G. The “paradigm” pump platform has been completely re-designed and re-engineered. The 630G has a full-color, high-contrast screen. The buttons are oriented like an i-pod: up, down, left, right and a center “enter” key. This makes navigation much more intuitive. Unfortunately, programming a standard “bolus wizard” bolus takes a few more button pushes than in the previous Paradigm models, but this is more than made up for with the more logical programming menus.
Good news for sensor users: The alarms/alerts can be set louder than ever before. In fact, the pump can be set to both beep and vibrate rather than having to choose one or the other. Pool/beach/lake/river/bathtub lovers will also appreciate that the 630G is fully waterproof. The duration of bolus action (active insulin time) can be set in 15-minute intervals rather than whole-hour increments. Frequently-used temporary basal settings can be “preset”, and there is an “airplane mode” feature that quickly disables radio transmissions.
Speaking of transmissions, the 630G comes with a new MiniLink transmitter for sending signals from the Enlite continuous glucose sensor. The transmitter uses a higher frequency to extend its range and reduce the incidence of lost signals. An updated version of the Contour Next Link meter will also ship with the pump. The 2.4 version of the meter has the capability to program “easy boluses” into the pump remotely.
Clearly, Medtronic has made a number of improvements that will enhance safety, functionality and ease-of-use. Now we eagerly await the 670G, a system that makes automated adjustments for rising and falling glucose levels.
Just a few more pieces towards completing the closed-loop puzzle.
Would you at this time be able to give more insight on the pump 670 G? I am curious about a couple of features that I’m interested in.
I’m going to hold off until the product actually comes to market. There is a lot of potential with the 670G, but it all hinges on whether or not the new “guardian” sensor performs as promised in a real-world setting.
So you can’t post my review? Because it doesn’t rave about the 630g being perfect? Its a true test and has real live concerns for someone looking to switch to a pump. That’s sad that you all won’t share the review of a device coming from an actual diabetic.
I have recently upgraded my pump from the 530g to the 630g a couple months ago. I hope that the 670g is better built for active, healthy diabetics. The reason I say this is mainly due to the size and weight of this device. I am 5’4 120lbs and it will not stay attached to my waistband or inside my sports bra for anything other than sitting. I have to deal with high glucose levels when I want to wear a dress or a tight fitting flattering shirt cause there is no where to hide or place this heavy device. I might be switching back to the 530g due to size and convenience. As for the upgraded features listed in the article above that’s great. To be honest it truly isn’t any different than the 530g in helping control blood glucose levels any better. The upgrades feel like more of an increase in cost
For a newer device. Who cares about a colored screen or different layout? I will probably be switching back to the 530g and possibly even back to injections numerous times of day due to the size of this device. I was really hoping insulin pumps would be downsizing just like all technology is. I would say that this is my first trial with the CGM which I do like for small periods of time only cause I hate being connected to two different catheters and hate when people constantly ask what’s on my arm. The CGM for me is to only set my insulin pump correctly to my numerous schedules and activities with my doctor. I wish I could wear it all the time but it gets expensive constantly ripping them out. I am a mountain guide for a company that takes clients ice climbing, back country skiing, rock climbing and I teach Avalanche education. These have become problematic and I can’t get my AIC below 7.8. Hope this review helps any smaller active diabetics out there.