670G case too fragile?

I’ve had the 670G system since last November. In July I went on vacation and wound up looking for a foreign Walgreens to get a “backup plan” since my pump was fried after swimming for a bit in waist-deep water. There was a large crack in the back of the pump on the left side of a belt-clip ridge so the internal circuitry got toasted.

I’m currently using the replacement pump they sent me and now THIS one has a crack in the same place! This has only been in my posession for 3 months.

What the hell?? I am not a full body-contact sports person and am not overly clumsy. I’m not even tall!! How can Medtronic assure folks that you can swim with this pump without a watertight case if its shell is so goddamn fragile!? :angry: According to them, the case isn’t fragile but they thanked me for my phone call and my feedback and will be overnighting me yet another replacement pump which will arrive tomorrow.

I’m the kind of person that likes my pump to be as unobtrusive as possible so the idea of having to carry it around in a silicone sleeve isn’t very thrilling. I can’t imagine this will slip easily in and out of pants pockets… :frowning:

Has anyone else had the same problem? The tech support person claims that he hasn’t.

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hi @lolaveed70, I don’t have a 670. but I can tell you that structural plastic is brittle. not as in “brittle diabetic” but as in it doesn’t yield under stress… it cracks.

thinking out loud: as long as they are replacing it… then I guess you should inspect it often and have them replace it if/when you see a crack. I don’t swim with any of the pumps I have worn, regardless of claims of water tightness, I find that I don’t need insulin when I am swimming, and I find it’s .potentially risky.

anyway I’ve smashed my fair share of belt clips… maybe close to 20 shattered clips in my 19 years of pumps, but so far not cracked a pump… Now that my pump is off warranty I might try to be more careful with it. sorry I couldn’t help much. good luck.

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I have replaced my 670g three times over two years due to this same crack. The plastic is WAY too brittle to handle the pressure of being sealed waterproof. I have told them their materials aren’t good enough. Starting auto mode over from scratch is painful. They better fix this problem for the next generation pump, or I will likely switch to a different manufacturer when the time comes to get a new pump

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Thanks Ryan - I’m glad I’m not the only one. They said that it was mentioned during a staff meeting that from now on they will be recommending to pump-users to put the pump into the free silicone case that comes with it(??). I never got one with my system so they are sending me one with the replacement pump.

I do not trust the waterproof integrity anymore - how can anyone trust that a pump that cracks so easily could be waterproof?? I just don’t like leaving a $4,000 medical device on the beach or by the side of the pool :worried:

Just to share a blast from the past - I switched from Minimed (now Medtronic) to Tandem several years ago. When I got my first Minimed it cave with a monstrous sport case. As I recall you could not disconnect the older pumps to treasure a bath or shower, so you had to put your pump in the case and leave it on the edge of the tub or tags or in the water with you. It had a secure rubber seal with a slit for the tubing so it stayed dry. Believe it or not I still have mine - somewhere. I imagine it’s good fit contact sports (not that I play them any more) as well as swimming if you don’t mind the bulk. I know you’re looking for something discrete and unobtrusive but thought I would share a little history. As for my then-Minimed pumps, I think my last one was a 508 something or other. All of mine were very durable - a little nick or scratch here and there but nothing affecting function. I’m sorry to hear yours have not been so durable and wish you the best finding a case that works for you.

I actually just switched from a 670g to tslim x2 and I intended to use up some more of my medtronic supplies to give myself a buffer of tandem supplies but a broken case outside of warranty period ended my plans. Mine cracked right up the back into the battery compartment. I also had one other replaced for cracking. I finally found that just wearing mine inside my pants pocket was the only way to keep it alive. I broke many clips and finally broke the rails that hold the clip onto the pump. That is how it started off in my pocket , but once there I didn’t seem to have as many issues. I broke the rails only about 9 months into 670 and case broke about 2 years in replacement lasted roughly 1 year and I traded my 1yr old 630 in on my first 670 . I broke I don’t know how many clips on the 630 but I never did break the pump. I only broke one revel series pump in 8 yrs.