Animas 2020 Recall

From the FDA: http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm346788.htm?source=govdelivery

Animas Corporation 2020 Insulin Infusion Pump: Class I Recall - False Alarm or Warning Sound 

[Posted 04/05/2013]
AUDIENCE: Risk Manager, Patient 

ISSUE: Animas identified a component issue affecting Animas 2020 Infusion Insulin Pumps manufactured from March 1, 2012 to November 30, 2012. The component issue may trigger the pumps to sound a false alarm or warning related to one of the following: 

• “Loss of prime”

• “Occlusion”

• “No Cartridge detected” 

If you receive any of these alarms, the pump may prompt you to complete the rewind, load and prime sequence to clear this alarm. Failure to follow the pump’s safety instructions and disconnect your infusion set from your body before the “rewind, load and prime” steps can lead to unintended delivery of insulin, placing you in danger of potential serious health risks, such as hypoglycemia. 

The Animas 2020 Insulin Pump also has a software limitation that will impact the ability of the pump to function past December 31, 2015. After this date, the pump will no linger deliver insulin and will generate a “Call Service Alarm.” 

BACKGROUND: The Animas 2020 Insulin Pumps are used to deliver insulin directly into your blood for the treatment of diabetes. 

RECOMMENDATION: Customers with the device should contact Animas’ Product Fulfillment Center at 877-280-2339 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 12 a.m. EST to schedule shipment of your free replacement pump. Customers with technical questions or who want to report a concern should contact Customer Technical Support Center at 866-793-5253 

Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

• Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm

• Download form
 or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

[04/05/2013 - Recall Notice - FDA]

An AP by Any Other Name: Animas HHM

Artificial Pancreas is in the news again. This time the press release is from Animas. Yesterday the news was of an article in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Everyone's favorite bard said, "A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Sorry Bill,  I am beginning to think you were wrong.  I think the first steps of AP smell sweeter with different names.

My experience talking with other parents is that the term Artificial Pancreas is all wrapped up expectations of it doing what they really, really want. That is magically managing diabetes so well they don't need to worry about it. Being reasonably smart people, who are regularly frustrated by their child's diabetes varying in inexplicable ways, the discrepancies of life, liberty to eat and CGMs, they conclude that the present technology can't deliver that magic.

No kidding. It can't.

There is a whole bit on this in Forbes by David Kliff, Stretching The Truth About An Artificial Pancreas to which others and I replied.

Here is what matters to me as a dad of T1D kids - the NEJM article says the first steps of AP can lessen the number of hypos and keep kids in range longer. This is where the Animas release kicks in, remember the Animas press release? This is a story about the Animas press release.

In the Animas release they don't call it AP. Go ahead go read it. Search it for the word Artificial. It ain't there.

The story is about, "a first-generation closed loop insulin delivery system." I will give you that AFGCLIDS is no rose. They got that.  They call it HHM for Hypoglycemia-Hyperglycemia Minimizer. I would call it Hypblurglycimic Minimizing System. Then I would go for a whole Gilbert and Sullivan operetta - HMS Pancreas.  But I digress.

Like LGS (Low Glucose Suspend) the idea isn't to manage precisely to target. The goal is to help minimize bad sh*t from happening. Preventing bad sh*t, is a good thing.

Progress happens incrementally. Regulators are gonna be more comfortable regulating incrementally and payers will probably be more likely to pay if academia (see NEJM above) can show incrementally better outcomes and hopefully incremental savings in the reduction of expensive hospital visits.

Staying in range more means better long term outcomes. That may not be actually magic but it is a nice parlor trick.


Oh and my apologizes to centuries of British culture.

Animas offers rebate on Dexcom G4

Got this email form Animas, haven't found a web version to link:

We've partnered with Dexcom to integrate glucose sensing with our insulin pumps. Find out how we can help you make a smooth transition to next generation technology as soon as it becomes available. Animas pumpers are eligible for a $200 rebate on Dexcom G4™ PLATINUM CGM today. Get the latest, greatest pump technology for just $99 when it becomes available with the ezAccess Upgrade Program.† Call 1-877-YES-PUMP to learn more, and to get all the perks that come with pump therapy from Animas and CGM from Dexcom.   *To receive the $200 rebate, Animas patients must be within their warranty period and must purchase the Dexcom G4™ PLATINUM CGM System by 04/30/2013. †The ezAccess Upgrade Program is effective 6/1/2011 to 4/30/2013. The ezAccess Upgrade Program excludes individuals with Medicare or Medicaid, or any other federal or state healthcare plans. It is not valid for patients who reside in MA. Offer not available to participants of the Animas Access Program or prior ezAccess Upgrade Program participants who have not purchased a full revenue pump since last upgrade. Other exclusions may apply.

How Good Was Animas Customer Service?

Hint: I’m writing thank you notes.

A milestone in our kids' school careers is the 8th grade play. All the kids participate in a a number of ways - acting, makeup, making props and other team building processes. Delaney was practicing acting yesterday. Her part calls for her to dramatically roll across stage or some such thing. As she did her pump slipped out and she dramatically rolled it was across more than the actual stage. Exit one cracked Ping pump screen, stage left.

Amimas has always been great about replacing pumps when life happens. Life, not accidents. Being a regular kid is no accident. It is the goal.*

Sometimes when life happens, pumps need to be replaced. That is a great thing! It means the T1D kid was more focused on being normal than being T1D with an inulin pump.

While replacing a pump sounds easy, it actually isn’t. Our friends in the device business have to keep track of everything to keep the regulators happy. They gotta know who has what device, made when, with what parts, by what factory and probably at what time and if that time was daylight savings time or not. That way, if anything ever goes wrong, with any of the parts, they know who they are gonna call. Dotting i-s and crossing t-s takes systematic processes, rules, records, people and time.

Aminas’s offices are about 45 minutes from my house. When I can, I drive down for replacements. It saves a night time without a pump. That Animas can, at times, make that happen is brilliant.

I know the names of two of the people who made that happen yesterday, Steve and Bill. They made magic because of who they are and because they could. All too often we ascribe the role of villain to the companies who make the tools we rely on. The truth is way more often they are the mild mannered alter egos of super heroes who are trying to live with in the rules. They get what we are trying to do, which in this case is let life happen. When they can, they slip into the spandex and become super heroes.

I think there is probably more than one Steve and Bill at Animas. I’m waiting on a return call to get last names so I can mail LY/MI pins with thank you cards. All in all if they are busy helping others with real emergencies I’m cool. Somehow if getting a name takes longer than getting a pump replaced that would be magic where it matters.

Got as story of Magic Service? I would love to hear about it as a post here or as a link here to your own blog post about a hero.

*More Your Diabetes May Vary ramblings about The Goal:
http://www.ydmv.net/2008/08/what-is-your-goal.html
http://www.ydmv.net/2008/03/newbie-advice-long-run.html

FTNW: Dexcom Earnings Call

The Dexcom Earnings call went up on Seeking Alpha 5/5. It sounds like they will be out with pump CGM integration with OmniPod sooner than with Animas.

With regard to Pump CGM integration Terry Greg said:

Shifting to our insulin pump partnerships, we are pleased to report that we have filed a PMA supplement with the Food and Drug Administration for our first generated integrated system with Insulet Corporation. We're extremely excited about the combination of our SEVEN PLUS system with the OmniPod Insulin Management System which will merit Insulet's unique [tubeless] insulin delivery device with our best in class CGM technology.

Although we cannot predict the ultimate decision or timing for a decision by the FDA, we typically expect a PMA supplement to be subject to 180 day review cycle, give or take a few months, and we hope to be positioned to launch a first product with Insulet late this year or early next.

But as you're well aware the timing of the regulatory process is uncertain. With respect to Anima, we continue to push forward on the development of a modified transmitter capable of supporting a unified global launch by Anima*. And while the development cycle has taken slightly longer than expected, we remain committed to filing a PMA supplement with the combined DexCom Anima's* system later this year as well.

*Animas - I quote'm like they write'm

Later they said of the Animas trasmitter:

Ben Andrew - William Blair
... And then you talked about the modified transmitter for Animas to launch and filing the PMA supplement later this year. Is that kind of a year end sort of event given some of the delays you've seen Terry or can we look for it before then.

Terry Gregg
Well we're still going through the technical review of that as late as last night with their folks being here. Obviously, if we can pull that in earlier, we will since it is a brand new transmitter versus the existing transmitter with the Gen3 system. Some of those still challenge us. So I would not want to predict other than in the comments that I made by the end of the year.

On the CGM The Next Generation:

I'm pleased to report that we have successfully completed a pivotal trial for our fourth generation short-term sensor, and we expect to file a PMA supplement with the FDA before the end of the quarter. In addition to improved manufacturing ability and reduced cost, our goal with Gen4 is to bring the market a next generation sensor, which will offer an unmatched level of performance and ease of use for our patients.

I expect to give additional color on the key attributes of Gen4 during our next earnings call post PMA submission, and of course we will not stop with Gen4, and we are equally excited about the progress we've made on the development of a fifth generation sensor, which we've mentioned may have application not only as a future ambulatory sensor, but also as a subcutaneous sensor for use in the hospital outside of critical care.

Full disclosure I own shares in Dexcom. My kids use Dexcom.

JDRF Animas Dexcom in Artificial Pancreas Agreement

Thanks Kerri for breaking this news on Twitter: Press Release

I gotta go read it more carefully.

Two Out of Three

YDMV regulars (including a bunch of hits from J&J IP addresses) know I have been very critical of Animas’ exManager. OK in point of fact I called it “Totally Unacceptable.” There was a new version released last summer. I finally took it for a quick test drive. In this first pass I was looking for three things that I feel are criteria.

1) Does it upload pump setting changes correctly?
2) Can I make adjustments to the pump settings without connecting to the pump?
3) Does the log book show basal rates satisfactorily?

Yes
Yes
Less wrong than before.

Feel free to stop reading now if you want - the rest is minutia with a few obscure jokes


I am happy to say you can edit pump settings without maintaining a connection to the pump through the dongle. I could create pump settings and save them to a file without the pump. Yeah!

It is a big time saver to connect and save the pump settings to pre-fill a file to start. That way I was editing not starting from scratch but I could do either. That is a big and way overdue improvement.

It was by no means intuitively obvious that I could start with a file from my computer. To open a file I had to act like I was configuring with a download. Specifically I clicked START on the Configure Insulin Pump Data screen right below where I told it what type of pump and what port to scan to find our pump.

Then I clicked Open in the upper right hand part of the next screen. It asked if I was sure I wanted to open a file. After I said Yes it lets me into open a file. A bit convoluted for someone like me who would think File Open but it got me there.

The manual says you get the setup features specific to the model pump you have. Sure enough I got different screens depending on the pump I picked in the drop down up there on the Configure Insulin Pump Data screen. (I had to go back and look.)

So this begs the question is there an import / export utility to move settings if we upgrade pump models, say a 1250 to a Ping? So far I haven’t found one.

I did find an import utility under tools. When I tried to import the file I saved previously it did a strange thing, well not so strange for exManager, it crashed. It said it imported the file successfully then said it was 93% done and took a dive. Nothing a three finger salute (ctl alt del) couldn’t fix. I can replicate the crash, so genius that I am, I am guessing that isn’t what that import menu option if for.

Anyway that is beyond the scope of my three questions test drive. Lets review: So far it lets me open a file without the pump connected. I could edit basal rates in that file. Next I managed to save and up load the file with new basal rates into my DD's pump. Two down of the three down with unexpectedly good results.

On to reports. We are going on a trip in the Wayback machine with Mr. Peabody to start. (Keeping in mind you have 5th amendment rights, anyone old enough to get the Mr. Peabody reference? Was it brilliant writing or what?)

Speaking of writing (but way less brilliant than Bill Scott,) in July '06 I wrote Animas a letter in part about the ezManager Log report. I said, “The 24 hour log in ezManager is a nice report. Unfortunately the basal insulin delivery on that report is at best misleading if not downright dangerous. As I understand it basal insulin is reported in totality for periods of time. Speciffically (sic – yeah I can't spell even with spell check, but the readers of YDMV already hold these truths to be self evident.) my understanding is the basal insulin for a few hours is totaled and reported in the last of those hours. So you have no basal for a while and a ton in one period. As it is the report is nicely designed but unfortunately unusable as it is reports information dead wrong.”

The good news it doesn’t aggregate basals anymore. The bad news is it still shows nothing if the basal doesn’t change in a give time period. See there is nothing at 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12. WTF? Still BOGUS.

Here's my last observation. No help menu. F1 doesn't do a thing. Not particularly helpful. Nor is the manual.

So the program is better but still has short comings. I guess what will be interesting is what will they do for software when they have have a CGM product in the upcoming year? I hope it is all new. I am afraid it will be another substantially equivalent incremental upgrade.

From The News Wire: Animas "Ping" Meter Recal

Diabetes Mine has a notice up about a recall on the Ping Meter. Amy reports that the Ping Meter may not do bolus calculations correctly if it can't communicate with to the pump. There is a reply from Animas on Amy's site. Check it out here.

From The News Wire: DexCom on Animas and Podd

From DexCom's Earnings Call as reported on Seeking Alpha - Their thoughts on CGM and Pumps and the next generations of the DexCom product.

Terry Gregg - DexCom President

..Our continued goal is to complete all development, clinical and regulatory efforts with Animas and be positioned to launch our first product during the summer of 2009. But, as you are well aware, the timing of the regulatory process is uncertain we would expect to combine product with Insulet to follow later in 2009.

We are also pleased to report that we have filed a PMA supplement for a third generation continuous glucose monitoring system with the Food and Drug Administration. Data from our approval support trial demonstrated significant improvements in system on time and improved accuracy as compared to our current product. In addition our third generation system will include twin doors to complement our turn graph and event entry capabilities such insulin intake, (inaudible) exercise as well as configurable alarms.

Keep inline with generation alliterations we continue to make progress on our fourth generation product. We expect this design to incorporate an enhanced membrane system, we have been greater accuracy and be suited for large volume production. Additionally our fifth generation sensor is now being tested in humans in connection with our in-hospital product.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/89295-dexcom-inc-q2-2008-earnings-call-transcript?source=wl_sidebar&page=3

Why Buy into Pumping

Not the idea of pumping Better is Better makes that case brilliantly. (5/16 editor note: Better is Better link has gone dead see the book.)

Why buy them?

In the next 4 years there will be a wholesale change in the insulin pump world. We have to be excited that the rate of change is accelerating. (See calculus geeks, we can love that second derivative too.) There is a lot of talk of more pod like products coming down the road. Amy has written about two, the nano pump and the behind the glass (you can't take a picture of it Amy!) MiniMed wearable pump prototype. MM would like us to believe that it is coming by 2010. NIH is sponsoring talks on the closed loop. The CGM market is expected by some to exceed the pump market in the coming years.

OK! OK! I know it isn't all roses, there were those who thought the Bong was a good idea too. Cool as it all may be it isn't Really Cool.

So why do we buy the actual pump? Is ownership the best financial model and if so who is it best for, patients, vendors or insurance companies?

Maybe we should lease them. It works for cars and office equipment.

Maybe we should rent pumps or as in the Omni Pod model throw them out with every set change. In the current buy-for-a-four-year-commitment we get stuck in a technological time-warp for 4 years. Unless we upgrade and upgrades are not typically covered by insurance. Even with insurance diabetes isn't cheap.

Anyone keep a cell phone for four years? I didn't think so. And no matter what any teen says, a cell phone isn't life saving technology.

About that insurance, the insurance company pays a large up front fee for a product it is betting will work for the patient. It may it may not. If the pump doesn’t work in a patients life style, it sits on a shelf un-used for years. The insurance company has already paid for all 4 years.

Renting or leasing would get rid of that big bump up front for the insurance company (OMG I just made a suggestion to save an insurance company money - hell must have frozen over.) If the lease term was less than 4 years pump patients could benefit from advancing technology faster.

The Pod people have an interesting model going. Every time you toss out a pod it is an opportunity to upgrade the functionality of the product. They have a lower up front cost but as I understand it have higher cost of consumables. This lowers the cost of entry that is good for expanding the market even with insurance. (Can you say lower co-pay?)

Lowering the barrier for entry also raises the need for customer service because changing becomes cheaper. If you read their conversations with the financial press (I do - so I must have no life) you will see that the Pod People are very aware of the importance of customer service. I have to think that people with diabetes can only benefit from increasing the priority of service.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying service is bad in the pump business. Animas has provided great service from day 1. Yet regular YDMV readers know I still beat the heck out of them. We're talking about two of my kids' lives here - no good deed goes unpunished, sorry Audrey.

New business models would give the traditional pump users the opportunity to take advantage of new products faster. I would expect that there would higher consumable cost or possibly recognition (a word that here means benefit to the consumer) of the annuity value of consumables as part of the user / manufacturer relationship.

Hello? Insurance dudes? You can innovate and be creative - life isn't all actuarial calculations and denial letters.You can be part of a brave new world! Step up and create a pump rental payment plan.

If we are moving to more pod-like experiences where the technology is the consumable, why root the traditional pump in a different, traditional 4 year user cycle? In a YDMV world some folks are gonna like traditional pumps. Why can't they benefit from innovative business models as well as innovative technology too? Why do we have to wait for more pod people to land before overhauling the sales and service space?

So my YDMV friends, which is more innovative, the wear the pod pump or the business model that shortens the technology cycle for pump patients?

ps. Amy had a post on renting here. Thanks for pointing that out Amy.

Ping or not to Ping that is the Question.

When our internet goes down, I ping a known address. When I get a reply back, I know everything is OK.

Hoping for a analogs response, I figured I would put out some queries for Ping the new Animas One Touch Pump (or is it a system?)


The Big Questions
(by big I mean without answers there is no point in even considering a 4 year commitment to Ping.)

• When do you expect Dexcom integration?
• Will Ping need an upgrade to talk with Dexcom, if an upgrade is required for a Dexcom why should I buy a Ping now?

It is public information that Dexcom integration is in the works. Asking for answers about how it will be handled is only a fair and proper action for an informed consumer.

Further it sadly appears that since the Johnson and Johnson acquisition of Animas the upgrade policy has changed to a practice of increasingly substantially fees. The more so the longer a user has been loyal to the Animas brand. It seems that the policy now is to create incremental product cycles to insure users pay out of pocket upgrade fees. Given that appearance, one can logically assume that Dexcom integration is at least as far down the road as to generate upgrade fees for Johnson and Johnson. Given this appearance of a J&J policy of maximizing out of pocket fees by users, why would anyone consider Ping without a commitment to know pricing for the Dexcom integration?

Here are some suggested fair and honestly acceptable answers.

At Animas we are working diligently to integrate the Dexcom CGM capability into our Ping product. We can not speculate on FDA actions and can not comment on time frames.
(That is a fair an honest answer and I would take it as such.)

Since we do not know what the FDA may require we can not commit to not needing and upgrade.
(again fair and honest answer.)

We at Animas / One Touch / Johnson and Johnson recognize that continuous glucose monitoring is of the highest importance to our pumping clients. We commit to every Ping client that if upgrades are needed to integrate CGM into the Ping system that we will make those upgrades free of charge during the normal warranty period. Users can take advantage of the wireless benefits of the Ping system now knowing they will be able to take advantage of the additional benefit of integrating the Dexcom CGM capability into the ping system with no out of pocket costs.
(That would be a fair and honest answer too.)

Now when they get those first question answered here are some more about the rest of the Ping product.

Wireless Hand Held BG meter questions:
Does hand held meter communicate BG to Dex for calibration as it communicates BG to the pump?

Can multi user households have more than one meter in house w/o confusing pumps.

How will Ping work with Dexcom?
Will Ping communicate directly with the Dexcom transmitter?
Or will users need to carry a Dexcom receiver around also?
Or will hand held meter be the intermediary or we need to carry all three?


About the Ping Pump
Can pump alarm setting be adjusted by time of day and set real loud at night?

Do menus allow for scrolling “around the horn” that is loop from top to bottom and visa versa?

Does Ping still allow for custom music on alarms so that multi pump households can tell which kid’s pump is alarming from the tone?

Has the food database interface been updated to allow for user customization or are Baby food & Beans still in the high priority spots?

Has the food database been given iPod like “Play List” user control?

Is food database customizable for user defined foods in categories?

Is food database exportable to smart phone?

How does Ping communicate to computer? – Still the IR dongle in the serial port?

How does Ping communicate with the remote meter - Infrared, rf, Bluetooth…

How will Ping communicate with Dexcom? - Infrared, rf, Bluetooth…

How Ping wireless communication effect battery life?

How much is a replacement hand held Meter?

How many events does the Ping system record?

Where are those events recorded? In the pump or in the hand held meter.

What events are recorded and is there a provision for recording memos on exercise activity.

Can the Ping talk to multiple wireless meters, for example a separate one at school?

What if you use another meter can Ping work with manual BG entry and does Ping remember the BG you enter into it for down loading?

Why is it bigger?

Does the meter come in colors so families with more than one T1 can tell whose meter is whose?

About Max
Is the ezManager Max software all new?

Is ezManager Max software stable?

Is ezManager Max built on Access?

Does ezManager Max follow win and Mac conventions?

Can users access their data and make custom reports?

Are the ezManager Max data files open source?

Do Ping / Johnson and Johnson support the idea of and commit to open source user diabetes data files?

Does Ping / ezManager Max allow users to plan changes to basal w/o connecting pump?

How does the ezManager Max software get information from the CGM?

Does ezManager Max download data from other meters and CGMs?

Does ezManager Max software anticipate families with multi pump users?

How does ezManager Max report basals rates?

Does ezManager Max have 24 hour basal, bolus, carb, insulin report? Does it correctly report basal rates in the times they were given or does it incorrectly report basals as ezManager does.

Does ezManager Max calculate and report on standard deviation.

Does ezManager Max have a multi day average basal BG report?

Does ezManager Max have a multi day graphical representation of BG like Cosmo’s.

Does ezManager Max have a report report of blood glucose vs. carbs and bolus for evaluation of meal spikes and insulin on board.

Is there a portable version of ezManager Max? Is it in the wireless meter? Can it be put in a smart phone?

substantially equivalent

From the FDA site re: Animas ezManager Max

Device Description:
The Animas ezManager MAX Diabetes Management Software, installed onto a patient's or healthcare professional's personal computer, allows downloading and uploading of information to and from Animas insulin pumps and specified commercially available blood glucose meters. The software displays downloaded historical data stored in the pump and blood glucose meter such as basal/bolus deliveries and blood glucose measurements. The data can be displayed in reports and logs to facilitate trending and diabetes management.

Indications for Use:
The Animas ezManager MAX Diabetes Management Software is indicated for use as an accessory to Animas insulin pumps and specified commercially available blood glucose meters. The software supports diabetes management by the patient and/or healthcare professional by allowing for the review, analysis and evaluation of insulin delivery and blood glucose history information.

Predicate Device:
K063674 - Animas ezManager® Plus Diabetes Management Software (Animas Corporation)
Substantial Equivalence:
The Animas ezManager MAX is substantially equivalent to the legally marketed predicate, Animas ezManager Plus. Both devices have the same intended use and fundamental scientific technology.

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf8/K080587.pdf
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf6/K063674.pdf

I understand it is legal double speak to get an FDA blessing to market the product, but substantially equivalent isn't exactly what I want to hear. Substantially rewritten from the ground up and only similar only in name would be much better.

From The News Wire: Animas Announces "Ping"

http://www.animascorp.com/ViewAnnouncements.aspx?ID=85

Animas Corporation announced today the clearance of its OneTouch ® Ping TM Glucose Management System by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). OneTouch Ping is the first full-feature insulin pump that wirelessly communicates with a blood glucose meter-remote. Using the OneTouch Ping meter-remote, a person can calculate insulin doses and opt to wirelessly instruct the pump to deliver them without touching the pump at all, giving patients more freedom and flexibility in using their insulin pump.

“OneTouch Ping provides patients the advanced insulin pump technology from Animas plus the OneTouch blood glucose technology they trust, put together into a system that offers the discretion, convenience and option of remote insulin dosing," said Juan Frias, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs, Animas Corporation. “People using OneTouch Ping will no longer have to access their pump to deliver a bolus, ultimately making life with diabetes a little easier.”

Also and this I am sure is what they weren't talking about when I bent their ear about ezManager (anyone think they will send me a review copy? yeah me neither)

ezManager® MAX Diabetes Management Software The OneTouch Ping system will also work with the recently cleared ezManager® MAX Diabetes Management software designed to allow users to download important diabetes management data from the insulin pump and meter-remote. Integrated blood glucose data from the meter-remote and insulin dosing data may be downloaded for review, analysis and evaluation of insulin delivery and blood glucose history to better inform healthcare decision-making. The ezManager® MAX software is MAC and PC compatible.

I guess this explains the hits to YDMV I saw coming out of J&J on google searches for Animas and Ping recently.

Oh and anyone other than me a Monty Python fan? The Machine that goes "Ping!" LOL

It looks like Ping is a New Pump (see the picture on their web site) It doesn't look like a 2020.

Or look here -

Software that Works?

Animas apparently the only pump company with crapware. Amy at Diabetes Mine writes about new and improved Omini pod software today. (And has nothing good to say about their software V 1.0.) In that piece, Amy make the point that new pumpers don't want to loose data.

Neither do old pumpers.

I look forward to better software from Animas. I will be sure to look at the Pod People's at Friends For Life next month.

All the more reason for an industry standard data structure. (Calling Bernard) This is our information and we need to press our service providers to serve us.

If we are lucky making it ours vs theirs is v 3.0. I am not holding my breath.

Dr Freud - Endocrinologist and Teen Motivator

Getting type 1 teens to take care of their diabetes is a challenge. That teens see themselves as immortal isn't much of a new flash. They rebel against their parents. That they rebel against their diabetes care can be a side effect of that natural process of separation.

My friend Barry over at the Children With Diabetes forums wrote humorously about a technique he used. He brilliantly create something useful from all the "little blue pill" commercials on TV. There are long term consequences of diabetes that strike immediate fear into the hearts of even the immortal teen gods of Olympus, like needing ED pills. So Barry brought that up. Everyone has seen the commercials, teens included. He theroy was teen may not be afraid of death but needing ED pills! That is a consequence to avoid.

This is the kind of conversation about diabetes that makes forums like Children With Diabetes' so valuable and at the same time entertaining. Why not surf over and join in?

Jim Vail of the pump maker Animas Corporation gave a talk with a similarly inspiration to the teen boys at the Children With Diabetes - Friends For Live convention last July. It took a day or two to get out of my son why he had a sudden appreciation of blood swings as being as important as A1C.

It was Jim's genius and it was hysterical.

Even kids who are proud of good averages (a1c) often miss the point that wide variations in blood sugar, even with a good A1C, can have negative long term effects. Hell just saying something as dull as "negative long term effect" is enough to make their eyes glaze over. So Jim doesn't say that. He asks what is an average human being? Well since half of the human race is male and half female Jim suggests "that average is an even mix 50/50 mix of gender specific parts, one of these, one of those.... say one breast one testicle."

Simply "average" suddenly seemed significantly less important to my teen who now was preaching the idea that minimizing variance was key. Jim got through where we had failed.
Jim and his compatriots from Animas are a big part of why this convention is so successful. I recommend the convention to all T1 parents.

So here's to Barry and Jim - guys who can still think like teens, brilliantly harnessing the the raging hormones in the quest form better blood sugar control.

DexCom(TM) Announces Joint Development Agreement with Animas

So Here is the answer to my question about where is Animas

Partnership Will Focus on Developing a Continuous Glucose Monitoring System
to Work with Animas(R) Insulin Pumps

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DexCom, Inc. (NASDAQ: DXCM - News), a leading provider of
continuous glucose monitoring systems for people with diabetes, today announced
that it has entered into a joint development agreement with Animas Corporation
to integrate DexCom’s continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology into
Animas® insulin pumps.

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