In the diabetic community, one of the most exciting advancements has been the introduction of more intuitive, user-friendly insulin pumps. Type 1 Diabetics have historically relied on fast-acting insulins in conjunction with slow-acting insulins to control blood glucose. Although the insulin cocktail controlled blood sugars better than the previous treatments of cow or pig insulins, the cocktails still had limitations. Therefore, when insulin pumps were developed to better mimic the natural pancreas production, the advancement in care was astounding to diabetics. Now, advancements in the insulin pump industry have increased care options beyond the care provided by rudimentary pumps. Let’s look at one of the newest types of insulin pump, the Omnipod tubeless pump.
Limitations of Tubes
Previous pumps have always used plastic tubing sets to deliver insulin to the user. The tubing is made in different lengths to allow users to place the insulin pump in a pocket or on a belt loop while the cannula (the part that is inserted into the body) is placed on the user’s preferred delivery area. The system works well unless the tubing is snagged or the pump is dropped, as can occur frequently, depending on the user. Many pump users must remove the pump to use the restroom and to change clothes. Also, the traditional pumps has to be removed for swimming and bathing. The Omnipod, however, does not have these limitations because it does not use tubes.
How a Tubeless Pump Works
The Omnipod uses a pod that attached to the body and a PDM (Personal Diabetes Manager) to control insulin delivery. The pump and cannula are housed in the pod, and the PDM houses a glucose monitor in addition to all of the insulin delivery and blood glucose results. The PDM wirelessly communicates information to the pod, and together, the pod and PDM control the diabetes without the hassle of tubes.