Tandem Diabetes Care Debuts Innovative Insulin Pump
By Adam Brown
At the recent American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) conference in San Antonio, Texas, Tandem Diabetes Care unveiled its anticipated new insulin pump, the t:slim. Looking more like an iPhone than a traditional insulin pump, the t:slim is the first insulin pump with a high-contrast, color touch screen. Tandem claims that the pump is 25% slimmer than the Animas Ping or the MiniMed Paradigm 522/722. The t:slim also features a USB-rechargeable battery, a 300-unit insulin reservoir, and a sleek graphical interface—although we note a wireless controller, like that for the Ping, will not be available for the t:slim at launch. The pump has not been approved by the FDA yet, so only a limited version was on display at AADE.
In creating the t:slim, Tandem reportedly talked to thousands of people across the country, including patients, healthcare professionals, and diabetes caregivers. Tandem’s booth was packed during the AADE conference, drawing interest from diabetes educators and industry followers alike. We think many patients will appreciate the sharp look and small size of the new pump and believe that it may draw more people that would otherwise not go on the pump. Based on our preview, the user interface and software seemed well designed and user friendly. Many of the pump’s settings also seemed highly customizable, which will hopefully make diabetes management easier for pump wearers. Our only potential concern about the pump is its durability – we have seen a few dropped iPhones and broken covers, though we imagine this is more reliable. We look forward to hearing more about the t:slim and its journey through the increasingly rigorous FDA approval process. --AB
