Insulin pumps facilitate the delivery of insulin. Individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes often require periodical insulin to control their blood sugar levels. Some type 2 diabetic patients whose pancreas don’t make sufficient insulin also require such doses. Insulin pumps provide a basal dose of insulin every 3-5 minutes, which in turn mimics the function of naturally functioning pancreas. Listed below are the three best insulin pumps of 2021.
Tandem insulin pumps
Tandem Diabetes Care offers the t:slim X2 insulin pump. It has a full-color touchscreen and is equipped with Bluetooth connectivity with many devices like smartphones and CGM. The pump has an in-built algorithm that automatically monitors basal doses based on glucose readings. When integrated with Dexcom G6, no fingerstick calibration is required. The t:slim X2 is the first device that can be updated remotely. This allows patients to be up to date without waiting for insurance to cover a new device. What’s more is that this insulin pump is waterproof within three feet depth for about 30 minutes, so individuals can keep it on while showering. The t:slim X2 is also battery-operated; it sends alerts for high temperatures and counting carbs. The device can also calculate boluses up to 50 units.
Medtronic insulin pumps
Medtronic pumps use SmartGuard (with CGM) to stop the delivery of insulin in case sugar levels in an individual becomes too low. There are two models of Medtronic – MiniMed 770G System and MiniMed 630G System. The Minimed 770G has added benefits like smartphone connectivity via wireless Bluetooth, which makes it easier to share real-time CGM data. The device can be used for children as young as 7 years. If a person has multiple children with diabetes, the CareLink™ Connect app allows five care takers to view data. This is a good option as it is very discreet and can be placed underneath clothes, clipped to a waistband, or put in a pouch attached to the waist or thigh.
Omnipod insulin pump
The Omnipod Dash is the only pump in the market that is tubeless and pre-filled with insulin. Hence, it scores well on user-friendliness. It is smaller than most insulin pumps and comparatively less expensive. The Omnipod Dash is watertight and comes with 72 hours worth of insulin. However, these devices have no connectivity with Dexcom and do not have any CGM features either. The Dash does not have vibration options and can be full of complicated programming with unnecessary buttons. Sometimes, the device might create a bump on the skin and stop working.