FFL People - reports?

[hawkeyegirl]

Okay, I've waited this long! Anyone have anything to report from FFL? Any interesting conversations with vendors? Any interesting products on the horizion? Any interesting speakers?

I am also dying to hear from someone who attended the MM MySentry focus group and has anything to report from that!

Anyone?

[dqmomof3]

I attended the MySentry focus group, but I'm not sure what to say about it. It was neat to see it in person - it's bigger than I thought it would be. I was picturing an alarm clock...it's more like an eight inch by eight inch box! Numbers are very easy to see, display is backlit which is nice. It will most likely not work with our current MM pumps...we will have to upgrade to the next level. I knew that already, but apparently some folks didn't, so there was a good bit of upset in the room especially from folks who just bought the MM pump.

Release date will be sometime in 2010 - that's all they could say. They couldn't say how much it would cost, but they figure insurance will not cover it. It will have battery backup but will definitely be AC powered, so it's not designed for portability. There are two pieces to it...the big display and then a smaller box, about the size of a pump, that has to be within a few feet of the person wearing the pump/CGMS. It's a transmitter box that transmits the signal from the CGMS receiver/transmitter to the MySentry display unit.

Bottom line...they supposedly haven't decided what they are going to charge for it, it's being submitted for FDA approval attached to the next-generation pump, insurance isn't going to cover it, and they anticipate its arrival sometime in 2010. Coverage should be sufficient for a 2300 square foot house (might have been 2600 - I can't remember exactly), but if you have a bigger house than that, you will need one on each floor or whatever to make up the difference. They are currently testing repeaters, that would send the signal from one box to the next to the next so that one monitor would still be enough.

Can't think of anything else at the moment, but ask me questions - I will see if I wrote down the answers or can remember them!!

FFL was awesome, of course...I'll post more about that later!

[Adinsmom]

Can you tell me a little about Medtronic's next generation pump? It now makes sense to me why they haven't released the parent monitor since they are integrating it with a next generation pump. That could take a while. We are pump shopping again and we are leaning towards the Animas.

Ironically 2 years ago Medtronic was my top choice if we couldn't order the Omnipod. I felt Cozmo would be a better fit when Adin was school age (RIP Cozmo) and Animas hadn't realeased anything new in a long while. Now it's vice versa. It is true what they say "go with the pumps that are available now and let the future sort itself out". Technology will evolve regardless.

[hawkeyegirl]

Shelley, I believe the next pump will:

1. Have 0.025 basal rate capability.
2. Be MySentry ready.
3. Show IOB on the pump status screen.
4. "Fix" the problem where you can't use the linked meter if you have CGM.
5. *I think* the CGM will have the new, improved sensor algorithm that is on the Veo, which is out in Europe now.

That's all I can think of right now. I'd suggest that you get ahold of a Ping and a MM, and a Dexcom, and play with all of them if you haven't already.

ETA: Thank you, Jennifer. I don't know how to feel about MySentry yet. It sounds nice, but it seems that the technology is out there to make it smaller, more portable, etc.

[Adinsmom]

Originally Posted by hawkeyegirl

Shelley, I believe the next pump will:

1. Have 0.025 basal rate capability.
2. Be MySentry ready.
3. Show IOB on the pump status screen.
4. "Fix" the problem where you can't use the linked meter if you have CGM.
5. *I think* the CGM will have the new, improved sensor algorithm that is on the Veo, which is out in Europe now.

That's all I can think of right now. I'd suggest that you get ahold of a Ping and a MM, and a Dexcom, and play with all of them if you haven't already.

ETA: Thank you, Jennifer. I don't know how to feel about MySentry yet. It sounds nice, but it seems that the technology is out there to make it smaller, more portable, etc.

Thanks Karla. Didn't mean to hijack your thread. We definitely will be trialing all the pumps and cgms this time around.

I also agee with your ambivalence to the MySentry. It just seems like they could incorporate better technology to make it smaller and portable. But I haven't seen it yet it could be the bees knees when I finally do. Adin's current ped endo prefer's the Medtonic pump to the others and is intrigued by the Veo.

Any other reports from FFL? I wonder when they will have a re-cap up to view.

[iluvmhp]

I honestly didnt see anything new and improved at the exhibit hall. I guess we are "up to date". We did get a Wavesense meter. It is cool, but we use the PING remote, so really dont need it.

Omnipod rep said they had seen the new pod and it was slightly smaller. It will work with Dexcom and be able to see dex and pod on the pod pdm. They said dex should work with pod in 2010, not sure when the new pod would be released.

Really nothing new to report, IMO.

I went to a session on Nocturnal Hypoglycemia that was honestly pretty frightening. The Doc. leading the session was definitely a proponent of CGMS. I felt bad for any "newbies" in the room. Very interesting data though.

I didnt do the focus groups, so maybe someone else has something to add from that. I loved, loved, loved meeting other CWDrs though! My children had a great time too....just not a whole lot of "new" info.

[OSUMom]

I did not attend, but I know "our Ellen" received the Jeff Hitchcock Service Award!! Can someone chime in on that if they were at the banquet?

[iluvmhp]

Yes, I am sorry I forgot that, Ellen did win the service award. She was very surprised and very humble. We are so fortunate to have Ellen to always provide words of wisdom and great articles!!! It was a pleasure meeting her too!

This award is presented at the dinner on Thursday night. Last year's recipient was Tom (Diabetes Dad) Karlya.

BTW I hope my previous post didnt sound too "underwhelmed". Dont get me wrong, the conference is a great experience and I highly recommend it for all CWDrs. I just didnt see any "new" products at the exhibit hall. I know there are products in the works, this just wasnt the year to introduce them!

[dqmomof3]

There were definitely a few vendors missing from last year...Cooler Concepts wasn't there, and more conspicuously, Bayer was absent.

[iluvmhp]

Yes, Jennifer, I thought the exhibitor area was definitely "lighter" this year. I am sure the economy has something to do with it. I was hoping Bayer would have a video with Nick Jonas at their booth, but hey - not even a booth...interesting!

By the way, I enjoyed meeting you and sitting next to you at the Moms chat!

My dd loved getting a skin for her Ping pump and we have enough backpacks to last for 10 years!!!