Letter from Insulet for Omnipoders

[cem]

Someone mentioned getting a letter from Omnipod and I tracked a copy of the letter down. As we all know, there is no fool-proof substitute for a pancreas but for those of us using the Omnipod this is important information. Insulet has been wonderful about replacing any malfunctioning pods and we trust that they are dedicated to perfecting the manufacturing process. Just wanted to post this to make sure everyone gets the info:

IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM INSULET

April 30, 2008

At Insulet Corporation we strive to give you outstanding product and customer service, including periodic updates that enable you to make the most of your OmniPod System—and keep your insulin delivery worry free.

Please place this important update to your OmniPod System User Guide in the chapter titled “The OmniPod”or “Using the OmniPod”where it will be easy to reference going forward. Of course, you can always find the most up-to-date version of the complete OmniPod System User Guide in the Customer Support area of our website,MyOmniPod.com.

NEVER use a pod if, during fill, you detect any crackling noise or
resistance while depressing the plunger of the fill syringe. Using a
pod with these conditions could result in under-delivery of insulin.

At Insulet,we are entirely focused on a single mission: improving the lives of people with diabetes.We believe that we have designed a unique product that makes a profound difference in the everyday lives of our customers—in fact,we hear it again and again from you in your calls, emails and letters to us. We hope you will share your own experiences with the OmniPod System (or ask us any questions) by contacting us at 800.591.3455 or by emailing us through the Contact Us link on our website,MyOmniPod.com.We take your questions and comments seriously, and continuously work to improve our product and service based on your feedback.

As always, thank you for choosing the OmniPod Insulin Management System.

Best Regards,
Steve Bubrick
Vice President
Customer Care & Reimbursement

[JMom]

I can't believe I didn't get this letter! Thank you for posting this because I have had two pods under-delivering and forgot to mention the noise to their support line. They sent me new pods anyway but now that's a mystery solved.

E. (Mom to Jane 7, dx:3/06 Omnipod:3/08 and James 10)

[bogusrogus]

We have had those same things happen:confused:, it's weird when you go to fill the POD and there is resistance.

[vettechmomof2]

I can't believe I didn't get this letter! Thank you for posting this because I have had two pods under-delivering and forgot to mention the noise to their support line. They sent me new pods anyway but now that's a mystery solved.

E. (Mom to Jane 7, dx:3/06 Omnipod:3/08 and James 10)

We just received our letter today, so maybe you will soon as well.
Allene

[cem]

I forgot to mention that I haven't gotten it yet either - someone who had mentioned it and I contacted Insulet. It is probably on its way now.

[saxmaniac]

I got it, but can someone explain what the resistance is like? There's always some resistance (you have to push the plunger), but how much is too much?

[taximom]

I got it, but can someone explain what the resistance is like? There's always some resistance (you have to push the plunger), but how much is too much?

I didn't really feel the resistance, but I did hear the crackling noise one time. I thought it was strange. It beeped after filling with insulin, so I used it anyway and we didn't seem to have any problem :eek:.

Have you guys ever been able to get insulin out of the pod (a fresh one)? I've tried but barely get 1/2 of it out. Is there a trick to it?

I did not get the letter yet.

[Lindy]

We had this happen to us once - you could not press the plunger down to fill the insulin into the pod - it was VERY apparent there was a problem!

[vettechmomof2]

I didn't really feel the resistance, but I did hear the crackling noise one time. I thought it was strange. It beeped after filling with insulin, so I used it anyway and we didn't seem to have any problem :eek:.

Have you guys ever been able to get insulin out of the pod (a fresh one)? I've tried but barely get 1/2 of it out. Is there a trick to it?

I did not get the letter yet.

No real trick for getting the insulin out, just do it slowoly. You have a better success of getting it all out.
We had 3 of these but no resistance and no noise but the insulin leaked out the front of the cannula. ALL OVER everything. As others had said it was like a bomb. They blew up. I had the whole box replaced after the 3. We did not put any of those on so no biggie for us.
Allene
p.s. when we withdrew the insulin is when we heard the crackling noise.

[Jenna'sMom]

I had one pod that had the crackling noise when I filled it, but I don't remember much resistance. After three 400+ readings with multiple corrections, I changed the pod. Glad to know this little discovery in case it happens again. I haven't received a letter, though. That's got me a little miffed.

[JMom]

Good to know the letter may eventually get to me!!

I got it, but can someone explain what the resistance is like? There's always some resistance (you have to push the plunger), but how much is too much?

We could not move the plunger at all in one pod. The second bad pod made a cracking sound much like the ticking sound you get when the pump action is delivering insulin--but louder. That pod caused numbers hovering in the high-200's for over 24 hours of troubleshooting and we finally removed it out of sheer frustration.

I suspect that the mechanism in the pump which is supposed to maintain pressure in the insulin chamber is somehow malfunctioning in these pods. There's a similar pod problem with insulin spurting out of the pod when you inject.

E.

(Mom to Jane, 7 dx:3/06 Omnipod:3/08 and James 10)