[Diabetes-talk] Accessible insulin pumps

[Chanelle Allen]

Dear Wayne,
I wish that there was an accessible iPhone app that would allow one to 
control an insulin pump and a blood glucose monitor that would also 
automatically record results as well as determine the insulin dosage. Better 
yet, it would be great if there was a continuous glucose monitoring system 
and a pump that would act in combination like a pancreas so that I wouldn't 
even need to check my blood sugar or figure out how much insulin to give. 
Devices like this are being developed; unfortunately, accessibility is 
lagging painfully behind. Prodigy started developing a talking insulin pump, 
but that has come to a halt. Someone has developed a remote to control the 
Minimed insulin pump, but I think that it is either waiting for Minimed or 
the FDA to approve it. Some insulin pumps still emit audible beeps. Basic 
functions such as giving a bolis, priming the pump, and setting a temporary 
basal may be performed independently by someone who is totally blind 
depending on the model of the insulin pump. It is not possible to determine 
a Minimed insulin pump's warnings from the beeps. I would expect it to beep 
after three days since the last time I changed the insulin reservoir. If I 
haven't replaced the battery in a few weeks, I might assume that the beeps 
are indicating a low battery. Beeps could also be indicating a delivery 
failure. A bolis is the amount of insulin given to correct a high blood 
sugar or for the amount of carbohydrates consumed in a meal. On my insulin 
pump, I use the easy bolis feature where 1 beep indicates a certain amount 
of insulin (for me, 0.1 units). After I press the up arrow on my pump so 
many times, the amount is confirmed by however many beeps (10 beeps for one 
unit). Memorizing the button pushing sequence to change the reservoir is not 
difficult. On my pump, I am not able to change my hourly basal rate 
independently since beeps cannot confirm the settings. However, setting a 
temporary basal rate is possible since a beep will be emitted after 
selecting the number of hours and then again after the percentage has been 
set. Every pump is different as to the functions that can be performed 
auditorially. Some insulin pumps may be controlled by software on the 
computer, which of course, has limited accessibility.
I hope this helps. Please don't hesitate to ask questions if anything isn't 
clear.

Chanelle

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Wayne Merritt" <wcmerritt at gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 2:18 PM
To: <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [Diabetes-talk] Accessible insulin pumps

> Greetings. I have been on and off this list over the years. I am a
> blind type 2 diabetic that lives in Austin, TX. I have been having
> trouble keeping my blood sugars under control lately. So much that my
> doctor has mentioned the possibility of an insulin pump. Which leads
> me to ask the following: are today's insulin pumps usable by a totally
> blind guy? Do they talk or provide some sort of audio feedback? I have
> read references on the web to insulin pump accessibility, where most
> pumps issued a series of beeps and so forth. I know nothing about the
> insulin pumps, thinking that I would never need one and now it may be
> a possibility. Is an insulin pump surgicly implanted in your body, or
> is there a method by which you inject the needed insulin or send it
> through a tube into your body? Any and all info would be appreciated.
> And, for those that use iOS devices, are there pumps on the market
> that would let me monitor the pump activity through my iPhone?
>
> Thanks,
> Wayne Merritt
>
> -- 
> Follow me on Twitter at:
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> My websites:
> www.wayneism.com
> www.whitecaneday.org
>
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