Medtronic’s 670G auto-mode system often prompts me to enter a blood glucose value, even when the sensor is reporting a value, and it doesn’t require calibration. This seems pretty ridiculous that I have to manual enter a BG value, or retest, because auto-mode can’t just grab the value from the sensor which is already being displayed on the pump! Anytime auto-mode is stopped, you have to manually re-enter the BG value (or retest) before the pump will go back into auto-mode. While not a major problem, I find this really annoying.
I heard at my last Type 1 meeting that the new Dexcom 6 will not even need calibrations. So you might want your next pump to be one paired with the Dexcom 6 instead. (This is not for sale yet.)
@ksannie you heard that correctly, no calibration, and it and the Tandem t-Slim pump are designed to work together with the auto-suspend features. There are other features too with the intention of being a “closed loop” system.
The new Omnipod [I don’t know if it is yet available] is being designed to link with the G6.
I must say I don’t understand the “BG required” prompt either. And really weird? If I ignore it long enough it seems to go away (resets itself) or it drops out of auto mode.
I have the same questions that I have been trying to get answered. I thought that the pump was supposed to know my BG from the sensor when in auto mode and automatically determine a dosage and Give It based on an algorithm. At times I have been told it has been on its maximum dosage for 4 hours and then kicks me off auto mode and asks for another BG. I have done more finger sticks since getting this pump 5 months ago than I have done in years! I share your concern and want answers, but have yet to receive anything helpful from the help line.
I posted this in the Issues with the 670G looping thread, but also seems appropriate for this discussion:
For better or worse, when I get in a situation where I just entered a BG and the pump is asking for ANOTHER BG or “BG required to enter Auto-Mode” or stay in Auto-mode I just end up entering the sensor reading, but I do NOT tell it to calibrate. If I think the sensor number isn’t close then I’ll actually check, but this thing asks for so many BG readings throughout my typical day I’d go broke on test strips if I did them all. I get the 2 Hr Auto-Mode min delivery, BG Required one fairly often. Pretty annoying when I’m sitting pretty at 100, no rapid BG drop or rise detected and the thing’s pestering me for a reading.
Maybe one day our pumps will be as awesome as the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie Oven… “Set it and Forget it!”
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awg0681,
Maybe one day our pumps will be as awesome as the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie Oven… “Set it and Forget it!”
There are a lot of special interests working against making things easier for T1 diabetics.
Diabetes Specialists and Trainers want things to be complicated and cumbersome to use.
Corporate lawyers do not like automation, as it increases the liability of the Pump Manufacturer.
Endocrinologists want you to have to come back every 3 months to tweak pump settings.
Because the FDA approval process is so arduous and lengthy, once a design (hardware and software) has passed the approval process, the design is essentially “frozen” until the next product release cycle. By the time the next product is released, they have a whole new set of bugs/quirks they aren’t allowed to fix without going through FDA re-approval. What should be a continuous improvement process, turns into a 2-year long batch improvement process, which really sucks for product quality.
Insulin pumps aren’t really sold in a free market. You cannot sell (offload) an insulin pump you do not like on the open market. And you need a prescription from your doctor to buy a pump and supplies. Once you’ve bought a pump, they’ve got you for the next 4 years until your insurance will pay for a new pump (or you’ll pay through the nose for switching). They know they’ve got you, so there is little incentive to correct product flaws in the current pump model.
I
Medtronic has apparently fixed this in the latest transmitters. If you have a 2.1.A or 2.1.C transmitter, you may need to get a replacement in order to see this go away. Repeated Blood Glucose (BG) Requests With MiniMed™ 670G System