Last week, I attended the 13th annual Children with Diabetes Friends for Life conference in Orlando (which also has added great new offerings for adults with type 1 in the last few years!). It was a wonderful event with almost 3,000 attendees, including parents, children, adults with diabetes and their significant others. All the leading diabetes pharmaceutical and device companies were exhibiting as well, and FFL attendees were lucky enough to get a closer look at the new t:slim insulin pump from Tandem, which just started accepting orders and will be shipping in August.
We discussed Tandem’s lack of a return policy a few weeks ago, and just as Bernard Farrell noted recently, we’re happy to report that Tandem has either changed their mind or has clarified their murky plans because they are now saying they will have a 30-day return policy on their insulin pumps. Good to know!
They won’t, however, offer trials of the insulin pump before purchasing, which is why I feel pretty lucky to have had the chance to walk around with the t:slim pump for 24 hours.
When I say “walk around,” I mean that literally, however. Tandem offered all conference attendees over the age of 12 the chance to sign up for a 24-hour “trial” of its new pump. A total of 47 people participated. But we weren’t actually able to wear the insulin pump, not even filled with saline (there was no set involved). That’s a bummer, but at least we were able to fiddle with all of the settings and options. Being able to at least carry it around and play with it was more than we’ve had the chance to experience up until now…
There were some new tidbits we learned about and I was able to sense of some pros and cons by keeping the t:slim with me all day.
With the help of my husband (with whom I am celebrating one whole year of marriage today!), I filmed a little walk-through of my take on the t:slim:
Please comment below if you have any questions!
[...] Allison at Diabetes Mine [...]
I’m not how many people will enjoy being tethered to a USB cord for several hours while the pump charges. Seems like a deal breaker.
what about the touch bolus button by carbs??
Jesse lives by that button on his Cozmo….
He loved the features…
It’s new, which is good- since the other pumps on the market havent really changed much over the last 5 years….
and it’s eventually going to work with the Gen 4 dexcom….
also- Jesse ” the pump slayer” tried his hardest… and couldn’t kill it… which is a good thing
As far as I know Tandem has touch bolus by units or by carbs. I think a lot of the team came from Cozmo.
um Khurt, sorry to say this, but their tip was to top it off everyday for 20 minutes. Heck I spend at least 1/2 an hour each night on the computer. WALLLAH!!! it is charged.
That’s truly limiting. I spend 8 hours a day on a computer — at work. At home I spend more time with my iPad than I do with my iMac.
Charging via USB for a medical device that is attached to a person just seems like a VERY dumb idea.
Hi Khurt, I think you must have misunderstood my comment. You can charge the pump while wearing it, but topping it off takes between 5-10 minutes. Many reps recommend doing that while showering, driving or working. It is much faster than charging a phone and certainly wouldn’t require you to be attached to the power supply for hours! Sorry if that was not clear.
-Allison
Good to know.
Trust me, if we had to charge for hours while wearing the pump, that would have been a BIG con on my list!!
there’s really nothing about the rechargeable battery that’s inconvenient. It’s just different.
Where is the TSLIM’s continuous glucose monitor? You mean there is no low glucose suspend technology that we are hearing so much from the JDRF. How does the TSLIM improve A1c and control? As she states in the video, it is just a pump with a touchscreen. I would rather know what my blood sugar is 24/7 so I can do something about it. My Minimed is ugly to look at in comparison, but it sure does work well. My pump is up in the next 6 months. I think I would rather stay with a company that I know I can count on instead of one that has yet to prove it will be here this time next year.
T:slim does not currently have a CGM but they have a working partnership with Dexcom. So we’ll be seeing that in future generations.
Animas has been saying the same thing for over 5 years. Where is their partnered integrated system?
Probably in the same place the elusive cure is. I was told 27y ago at diagnosis “Aw, there’ll be a cure in five years.” Uhm, Yeah…. still waiting
For me the integrated devices (meter & CGM) are a big one. I’m waiting for that stuff to develop. I liked your show and tell, there was definitely some stuff I didn’t notice from the research I did on my own.
Thanks! I tried to cram in as much as I could. I also agree that integration is huge… but what Tandem has, to me, is pretty good considering that only Medtronic has integration right now. I’m not a huge fan of their CGM’s accuracy. I’d rather have non-integration and good data, than integration and bad data! Though really, I’d prefer both!
Allison – Thanks for the video review. Like you, I feel a bit uneasy without a view of the filled insulin reservoir. Is their insulin filling protocol so dependable that we’ll *never* introduce air bubbles into the reservoir. How do I know that the vacuum in the new reservoir is 100% intact? I take less than 30 units of insulin per day. Delivering air bubbles instead of insulin represents a larger percentage of my total daily dose and will degrade my ability to control my BGs.
I was put off my Tandem’s initial reluctance to allow neither a trial nor a 30 day money back guarantee. I’m glad they changed their policy. While I’m very interested in this pump, I’m definitely in the wait and see camp.
I’m in the same boat! They said that if you prime the pump with the reservoir upright, any air bubbles would be released… But of course, you’d have to know there is one in there! It still makes me uneasy.
Thanks for the video – it showed some details of the t:slim I haven’t read other places.
The reservoir seems weird. I wonder what problem they were trying to solve with that system. Traditional reservoirs seem to work fine for me. This is probably enough for me to avoid this pump and stick with medtronic or animas for my next pump replacement.
It is nice to see someone trying new things to push the industry forward, but the reservoirs seem like a solution to a problem that I don’t understand.
One of Tandem’s clinical trainers was in my office this week and explained that their reservoir design doesn’t involve any sort of piston/plunger & that helps to save space, so they can get 300 units of insulin into a “slimmer” pump.
After 7 years of pumping I am happily taking Lantus and Novolog and truly relish being unencumbered by that money gobbling, infusions set clogging, piece of overpriced mechanical nightmare. Think about it pump worshipers. You are paying mega $ not to take sure fire shots that you know are delivering insulin. you cant even take your clothes off without feeling different, and being labeled as sick. The pump is a device that you can program and play with to fight a never-ending battle with diabetes. All you have to do is pay too much up front and then phenomenally ridiculous prices for supplies to deliver a “fast acting” insulin that is absorbed at different rates depending on your body position. The pump is a farce. It is horrible to convince people with a chronic disease that this device makes your life easier. It doesn’t it makes the sellers lives easier. I am speaking from personal experience concerning myself and my daughter. We are very physically active, and maintain A1c readings below 6.0. We done this with the pump and without it over the past 31 years total. We are responsible for our treatment. Again, the pump is a device designed to take your money, not manage your diabetes.
So happy MDI is working… FOR YOU. In 27y of this, the last 14y, while not perfect, have been a darn sight better on a pump than constantly chasing insulin activity, highs, lows, EMS visits etc….
And I don’t know who looks at you when you take your garments off, MY guy just loves me and who I am. He doesn’t see ‘sick’, he sees health and no complications in his wife.
Maybe this is one of those times where you ‘inject “YDMV” (Your diabetes may vary) or; “YMMV” (Your mileage may vary) into your post, sir … y’know, because we are all individuals.
So glad MDI works for you, but for others it doesn’t. There’s no way I can get the control I get with a pump, while on MDI. My basal rates double overnight. During that special week of the month my basal rates can triple overnight. When working out I have to stop all insulin intake, including basal, for 2 hours before, the workout, and 2 hours after or I plunge 100mg/dL in 40 minutes and can’t even complete my workout. There is NO EASY WAY to do any of this (or even really a POSSIBLE WAY) on MDI. I think everyone’s so very different and we need to remember that and respect that. You obviously have some anger issues related to the pump and the cost of the pump, but for some of us it’s the difference between an A1c of over 9 and an A1c under 6. Don’t knock other people’s treatments so harshly just because it doesn’t work for you or you think it’s inconvenient.
At present, I am using a jeweler’s loupe in order to see my MM REVEL pump. I got to hold and ‘play’ with a t-slim near my house with the rep from Tandem. I showed HIM a tip, too. — that you can, in fact use a capacitive touch stylus like one would use on their iPhone or iPad. He loves that this will be better for his demos.
*I* LOVE the 10-key touchpad to enter bf’s or CHO I’ll be eating. I also found the backlit numbers etc easier to see. Integration is all well & good, but if you have trouble seeing the pump’s screen, it will be a hardship in many ways to use.
I’d actually either give up CGMS or keep the revel for THAT alone and the t-Slim for insulin delivery. Since my cataract op I can see distance very well, but up close reading is very hard now.
Great video! I’m in Canada and it will be interesting to see if this takes off and makes its way here.
I am also visually impaired (legally blind) and wonder how easy the pump is to see. I still need to use a magnifier to see the Animas Ping … Still waiting for a pump that has a speech output option, ah maybe someday …!
I love that it has a calculator! That’s something I often wish my Animas had, as I use a scale and carbohydrate factors to measure all my food at home and often use a calculator to figure things out.
Another company, Pancreum is working on a pump/bg meter combo that will be voiced. This is not due out for a few years (Maybe 2013 for Trials), but the display is big, will have voice and connected to the ‘patch pump’ so it looks interesting.
Like you, I have noticed the lack of new tech in established pumps. People have needs and wants that are not being addressed but the t:slim is a start. I’ve got only 1 eye that works and it is nearsighted. My other eye is a plastic shell for appearance only. I saw the t:slim here at my local Starbucks with the Tandem rep who let me hold it and play on it, and after about 8 hours thinking about it, I submitted the request for it. I figure by the time I’d need another pump in four-five years, the t:slim will either have more to it or Pancreums’ pump will be out. Maybe by that time, Minimed will have a better pump/display. We’ll see.
But for today, my current needs are for the t:slim’s display. Otherwise it is only a nice pump with the onboard calculator and touch screen.
When you bolus, does the estimate show up as the default amount, or do you have to scroll to the bolus amount like on the Animas? That was a real turn off for me with Animas. I believe i heard the Medtronic has this technology patented, though my Cozmo had it. Any word on computer software?
I love how the Revel defaults to the recommended bolus, then if you scroll up or down past it, the “estimate” flag turns off. Also love how with the 523 update they show up much is left to deliver as the bolus is delivering.
Hi Christine, it does default on the t:slim. You have the option to change it, but you don’t need to scroll to set it.
That’s one of the things I love about the t-Slim, no scrolling. That 10-key touchpad is so nice and easy to use.
I submitted paperwork for a t-slim the night after meeting with the Tandem rep and am willing to be an early adapter of the new tech. I doubt insurance will go for it, but lately I have asked for the most ludicrous things and got them! LOL
Hi Jenny, I just saw this post and I saw that you were going to try the new tandem pump. I was wondering how you are making out with it. I was looking to switch to another pump and was looking at tandem or animas? Let me know how you are making out.
great vid! my kid’s fave features were being able to put the exact number of carbs in without having to press the up and down buttons, and the fact that she could do the audio bolusing thing.
You can probably guess how I feel about the new Tandem t:slim insulin pump – I want one…now. I first heard of the Tandem at a Children with Diabetes Friends For Life conference, and have hung on to my past-warranty Deltec Cozmo pump until the t:slim hit the streets.
I heard from Tandem today, they have my Doctor’s signed LOMN and can move forward in the process now. YAY!! I hope it is granted! I can ditch the loupe for more important things then!
Is it worth waiting for? My 13 yo son was diagnosed in March. Our CDE is encouraging us to wait for the tslim. We were ‘cleared’ to get a pump the beginning of June. We waited for the endo team to meet with a tandem rep. They met with them and like the pump but Tandem doesn’t have enough staff to train. They will find out in Sept when they will get trained. Is the tslim wotht waiting for?
I’m torn… it will be a new company and new pump. What if they go belly up in a year or two… we can’t get a new pump till 4 years out. On the flip side, we will have what we get for at least 4 years…. we are willing to wait 3 mos for something that is really better.
Thanks!
A few comments:
1. I definitely like the calculator within a calculator. Many times if I am eating multiple items and don’t want to add all the carbs, I’ll round and estimate to make the math easier. I think the calculator would help me a great deal with accuracy.
2. Not seeing the insulin would be kinda weird for me too at first, but I think I’d get over it.
3. Initially I was very excited about this pump. I’m always one for the latest and greatest technology. But now that I’ve had a chance to see reviews and think about it more, I’m wondering how much faith I want to put into a product that will be a main factor in managing my health. I’m happy to have until Feb. before my warranty is up. I can see what the early adopters using it more many months think before I really consider it.
A few questions:
1. Did they mention how far along the software is to being available on the market?
2. Did you ask Tandem about the weird screen flickers? Perhaps that’s only something on the trial pumps and will be fixed for pumps shipping in August?
Thanks for the review!
Hi Melissa!
1) They didn’t mention how far along the software is.
2) I did ask them later about the screen flickers, and one rep said that the flickering was there to indicate the button had been pushed, similar to how iPhone buttons turn blue to indicate you’ve touched them. I thought flickering was an odd choice to use.
I will say that initially I was excited too. I thought I’d be all ready to switch over. I’m still planning on getting a t:slim, but I’m not in as big of a hurry now because there just aren’t as many unique bells and whistles as I’d hoped.
I downloaded their user manual as if I have a t:slim already and ‘practiced’ the steps of filling a cartridge and adjusting the settings. A great too Tandem could have done was to make a virtual pump screen for iPhone for new users to get used to its’ ways. I think a pump company did that a few years ago for anyone on a desktop to ‘play with’.
Good thing I’m already a pumper. Anyone new may be intimidated by all the steps in setting it up, but most of us know this is only a once in while necessity. It is still on my wish list and Tandem has been very nice in staying in touch with me along the insurance process.
The software on this pump looks really great. The one thing that will keep me from buying the T slim is the reservoir. I am a 31 year type 1 diabetic and everyone knows being a diabetic is ridiculously expensive. All of us are trying to save money, why does anyone want to buy the T slim pump with a reservoir that cannot be refilled. Some diabetics have to change their reservoirs more than others and it adds up. What will the price on these reservoirs be? I have an Onetouch Ping, and software sucks but I can refill the reservoir as many times as I like, saving me tons of money. We don’t want devices that controls us like the Omnipod with alarms that forces us to change the pod. We want to be in control. We should let companies like this know to change their reservoirs design the way we want them or not buy from them.
[...] it and looked at pictures and videos of it, but that’s all. Allison put together a great video recap on DiabetesMine of the new pump, which was quite influential in what you’re about to read [...]
Here are a few of my experienced observations about and difficulties with the t-slim (I’m wearing it as part of a research study for one month):
1. The screen is difficult to read outdoors, and so when I’m working or playing outside, I have to find a shadowy sheltered spot to interact with it.
2. I cannot set a temp basal rate lower than .1 unit per hour. Sometimes I like to NOT suspend my pump but have only a tiny bit of insulin as my basal.
3. I hope the company develops a better belt clip system so that it’s easier for me to clip and unclip the pump, plus I would like to be able to view the pump screen without their current leather pocket clip currently covering up the screen.
4. Perhaps Tandem can design a device to hold the pump upright when we’re attempting to fill up the reservoir with the syringe.
5. The connecting tube from the pump to the long piece of tubing should be made available in different lengths since now I cannot tuck in the coupling unit under my waistband, making it more visible and perhaps more vulnerable to catching on objects nearby.
Thanks for all the great innovations being worked on by so many people at Tandem and other pump manufacturers! You’re all working to make our lives with diabetes both safer and more convenient! On to closed-loop technology, but without too much trash we cannot recycle, renew or reuse! The rechargeable battery of the t-slim is exquisite!
Well, at first, I was denied the T:Slim because my MM is fairly new. I appealed it again and the third time, they turned it over to Maximus Federal appeals and the denial was overturned!! YAY!! I got my beautiful T:Slim on Wednesday the day before Thanksgiving.
I hooked up that night at 7PM!!!!
I L.O.V.E. this pump!!!!!
I have had to lower all my basal rates, and I did lower my Insulin:CHO ratio, but have since brought that back to 1:5g CHO. I have lowered basal rates across the board by .20 U/h. On work days, I tend to run pretty low, so I have knocked those basals down further. more like .25 u/h. For an anomalous reason, my insurance covered the MM CGMS, but won’t go Dexcom, so I may buy a kit with my Tax refund. If not, it’s cool. Testing a lot more and am keeping on this well.
After one week, I have blogged at my wordpress site “sugarbeat111.wordpress.com” all about my T:Slim’s arrival, how it has been and am now playing with luer lock sets. A Lot more choice in this sort of set IMO.
This screen is AHHHH-Mazing!!!!! I love this new pump and it’s ease of editing the bolus/basals etc. Touch, edit, save and done. I fear I am a true geek in love with Diabetes technology.
Jenny, I had a question regarding the battery. Does the battery come off and charge is there a back up if so or does the pump have to come off the body in order to charge? If we lose electric I know we can charge in the car. But if we go away out of town? Thank you for all your help. Was wondering how things are going. Still looking at the Tslim or the accu chek combo. Any pros or cons for either. Heard anything?
No need to take anything off. Just plug the USB into the car-charger/wall-charger and the micro-USB end into the pump. It doesn’t stop your basals or such when you charge the T:Slim. I top mine up as I lay down in bed. While I watch some TV or play a game on the iPhone. After I have topped it up, I unplug it and plug that same cable into my iBGStar meter on the bottom of my iPhome. Same charging block, same cable. YAY!
I went T:Slim purely on my eyesight diffs at first, but seeing much improved glycemic levels and all in the last 2.5 weeks I am amazed at the T:slim. While the ‘combo’ may be pretty nice for some, I don’t know how it would work for me. Happy enough here
Gregory, wrong page to try to sell your “superfood” to Type 1′s talking about insulin pumps…
Just a question regarding your # 2
Is using less than .1 per hour going to really make a big difference than using .1 ? It just seems like a minuscule amount to be concerned about in an adult.
Before saying how one will react to a ‘miniscule amount’ try to remember EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. YDMV= Your Diabetes May Vary. When I say .1, it means I forgot the 0. Across the board, for both profiles-work and day off, I’ve since lowered my basal rates by .15 u/h now.
And for me that does make a difference between a 70 at work or a 44 (mg/dL)
Before saying how one will react to a ‘miniscule amount’ try to remember EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. YDMV= Your Diabetes May Vary. When I say .1, it means I forgot the 0. Across the board, for both profiles-work and day off, I’ve since lowered my basal rates by .25 u/h now.
And for me that does make a difference between a 70 at work or a 44 (mg/dL)