As a person who actually changed insulins to get a 'Memoir' pen with a dose memory this simple solution to part of the problem ("Hang on... have I injected or not...") appeals to me. Since having the Memoir I know I often check to confirm the exact timing of doses. Sadly however the Memoir is currently unavailable and Novo Nordisk's Novopen Echo is still not scheduled for release in the UK. So at the moment there is just no MDI device that records the timings of your injections.
Enter 'Timesulin' an ingenious digital timer which can be used as a replacement cap for your existing insulin pen (currently only Kwikpen®, Flexpen®, Solostar® are supported). When you remove the pen cap to inject the timer resets to zero and begins to count up again. So by looking at the pen lid you can tell how many hours (or minutes) have passed since you last injected. Cleverly if you pop the pen lid off to check how much insulin is still in the cartridge (or whatever) the timer keeps counting. It only resets the timer if the cap stays off the pen for more than 8 seconds.
At the time of writing the Timesulin caps themselves are 'in the final phases of production' and are due to be available for purchase from mid-November 2011.
More details here: http://timesulin.com/
Would be very interested to hear from anyone who gets hold of one, and whether they found them useful. Leave us a comment below...
Looks like it could be a great product. As you mention Mike the memoir & echo are unavailable for us minions.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think would make the caps even better would be to record the dosages/unit delivered. For me that would be game changing.
It could even help predict as to how much *Insulin on Board* there is..
Yes the continued unavailability of *any* pen device that will record doses and timings in the UK (unless you already have one) is bewildering. Of so much use to so many people - with technology that exists (and in the case of the Echo is already in production!) - and yet witheld.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the lack of dose recording is a weakness, but offset by the clever 'no-interaction-involved' system of logging.
I guess if the initial launch proves successful, they will be encouraged to develop the idea further.
Hi Guys,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for the comments and interesting points, we love your support - as the person with the problem I can only agree with you that adding additional data, like memory functions, dosing information and alarms is useful for some of us with diabetes. With that said, we have also found that for the majority, even though tons of additional data is useful, what we really need is just to make our lives a litte easier each and every single day. More features might not always mean for all of us that we are empowered to live the best, safest, most balanced live possible with diabetes.
Additionally, a little inside information for everydayupsanddowns- we have carefully looked at how people interact with technology and time and time again we find that the more complicated a product becomes, the more features, the less usable. Our idea is to keep it so simple that it requires no change in routine. Let's test it out and we will keep our ears wide open for feedback from you guys.
Thanks for the support!
John Sjolund - Timesulin CEO and Type 1 for over 25 years
Thanks for your comment John. I completely understand about wanting to keep the device simple and automatic. I posted about Timesulin on a couple of forums earlier and made a very similar point to a poster who raised the 'dose' issue.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with the launch. It's a product which deserves to succeed and which could be massively useful for thousands of diabetics across the UK
this seems like a great invention, indeed a nod or a wink just to tell me ive had my insu;in would do enough, as my short acting doses are all pretty much the same, it's just the 'did I or not just inject as automatic pilot kicks in 4 times a day!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this product!
ReplyDeleteThis device will be a great help to those with diabetes - just wish for a worldwide launch of this product.
ReplyDeleteHad three of these caps in the past 15 months, found them to be unreliable. First one lasted 6 months, second 4 months and third 7 months. Been told insulin leakage is the cause for them to stop working. Now moved on to a timer fitted to the outside of the cap.
ReplyDelete