So WTF is a Snap?

The Snap is the new-kid-on-the-block insulin pump. It’s also a whole new kind of insulin pump. Which, I guess, means I’d better review the old kinds of insulin pumps to get everyone on the same page.A traditional insulin pump is the world’s most expensive insulin syringe. It’s a box that holds three days’ worth of insulin and enough computing power to fly three guys to the moon and back half a dozen times. The devices cost thousands ($6-10K) and have a wide range of features that most users never use. That’s the “durable” part. Inside the pump is a short, fat, motor-driven syringe that’s filled with insulin. The syringe, often called a cartridge or reservoir, is connected to thin plastic tubing. The other end of the tubing is connected to a person with diabetes. Every three days or so, you pull out the reservoir and throw it away, along with the tubing. You then must fill a new reservoir, usually by sucking insulin out of an old-fashioned glass vial. The filled reservoir must then be inserted into the pump, new tubing attached and filled with insulin, and you are good to go for another three days.It isn’t as bad as it sounds.The pump has only fast acting insulin in it: Apidra, Humalog, or Novolog. The machine covers your basal insulin needs by a slow, constant, automatic drip of fast-acting insulin that can be customized throughout the day to match your body’s needs. When you eat, you tell the pump how much you are going to eat, and the pump crunches the...
Source: LifeAfterDx--The Guardian Chronicles - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs