I blogged last week about the approval of the Medingo Solo insulin pump by the FDA. This week Medingo is showing it at the AADE conferenceand they've finally unveiled more details at the Medingo Solo website solo4you.com.
While the technical specifications are not available, they do have this video that shows some of the features.
The PDA part (Solo Remote) comes with different colored skins. There are four parts to the Solo pump itself: Solo Remote; Reservoir; Pump Base; and Cradle.
The pump base is described as a '3-month insulin Pump Base that stores all your pump parameters'. Medingo says it last 90 days. Medingo provides you with a spare pump base, which will make replacement much less of a problem.
The reservoir holds up to 200 units of insulin and has a single mercury-free battery (grey circle to the upper right of the picture above). So each time you change the reservoir you get a new battery, it's not clear how recyclable it is. The cradle is the part that's attached to you, it's got the cannula. According to the site, a bad insertion can be fixed by just replace the cradle without losing much insulin. Changing the 'set' means replacing the reservoir and cradle. It's not clear how waterproof the base/reservoir are, so you need to detach these if you're swimming.
The Solo Remote has a color screen. It downloads settings to the pump base so that it will operate to some degree without the remote. The pump base has buttons (highlighted in orange in the picture) that allow bolusing without the remote. I assume this is like other pumps where you set a predetermined bolus amount and press a certain number of times to get a bolus of a certain size.
The Solo website does have a page to sign up for "Size Up Solo" demo kit. I've already done this, just be aware that the address entry fields are front to back and you'll be all set.
I'll update this post as I learn more. There are no posted specifications for the Medingo Solo system that I can find, from the video it looks very slim but I'll suspend judgment until I can get a copy of the user manual.
From what I've seen online, this looks like an improvement in usability and design over other pumps. I think we're going to see more of these insulin patch pumps over the next few years.
I can't find any pictures of this device, but there are various announcements today that the FDA has given formal clearance to Medingo Ltd to market its Solo MicroPump in the US.
On the Medingo site, this device is described as having "two parts: a miniature insulin dispensing patch and a remote control, which allows you to completely personalize and guide your patch for your body’s insulin needs."
I note that Prof. David Klonoff of the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology is listed as a member of their scientific advisory board. And Amy Tenderich has a post from 2007 that contains about as much information as is available today.
From the barebones information it's hard to tell if this is just a variant on the Insulet OmniPod or something very different. Please let me know if you're aware of any other information.
Update: Medingo will be unveiling the Solo MicroPump at the AADE meeting in early August. They also plan to launch their Solo website at that time. According to Craig Crease, Medingo's Director of Sales, they want to hold off on other information to "create an element of surprise". As I learn more I'll post it here.
Further update: I've posted separately with pictures and details of the Medingo Solo.
"Medingo is developing a disposable insulin pump that is significantly smaller than the leading pumps on the market. In contrast to current pumps, it resembles a patch rather than a pacemaker. The product has one main competitor, Insulet Inc. (Nasdaq:PODD). Insulet broke through the market for us, and we believe that we have the better product. It's half the volume, and discrete, so it can be worn even with a close-fitting shirt. We also think that the user interface is better."
The Diabetes Technology Blog is focused on using technology to live life to the full with diabetes. I review new diabetes technology including: blood glucose monitors; continuous glucose monitors; blood sugar meters; diabetes software and living with diabetes.
About Me
Name: Bernard Farrell
Location: Massachusetts, United States
I was born in Ireland and now live in the US.
I have had Type 1 diabetes for over 36 years. I struggle with my blood sugar, the same as most people with diabetes.
I wear a Cozmo 1800 insulin pump and a Dexcom SEVEN Plus CGM to track my blood glucose levels.
I'm blessed by God, and every day brings the possibility of a cure.