Tandem Diabetes Care just announced that the FDA has cleared its t:slim insulin pump to children age 6 and older. Previously available to U.S. patients over 12 years old, the t:slim is smaller than your average smartphone, but thanks to a touchscreen interface looks very much like one.
It holds up to 300 units of insulin and is pretty rugged, having an aluminum body and a shatter-resistant display. Moreover, it’s waterproof, tested to withstand being under three feet (1 meter) of water for up to 30 minutes, which will help it survive around kids.
Overall, all the same features are kept intact for kids as for adults, but for younger kids who are not responsible enough to manage the device there’s a lockout option to prevent them from making any unwanted changes.
Here are a few more features of t:slim that Tandem Diabetes touts as being important for diabetic kids and their parents:
- Insulin on Board (IOB) Calculations – The t:slim Pump tracks the amount of insulin that is still active in the body from previous boluses and uses this information to calculate future boluses. This helps prevent “stacking” insulin doses which can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
- Personal Profiles – Up to six personal profiles can be created with unique names to cover a wide variety of situations, including school days, sleepovers, weekends or sport practice.
- Missed Meal Bolus Reminder – This reminder can be set up to watch for boluses at specific times of day, and trigger a reminder if no bolus is delivered. This is especially helpful for children who may forget to bolus when they are away from home, such as during school lunch periods.
- Site Reminder – This reminder is a programmable setting that reminds the user when it is time to change their infusion set. A specific time and date can be set for the reminder, which can be very useful for busy families on the go.
Flashbacks: Tandem t:slim G4 Insulin Pump with Dexcom CGM Integration Approved by FDA…; Tandem t:slim Insulin Pump Gets FDA Clearance…; Tandem t:slim Touchscreen Insulin Pump Now On Sale…; Tandem t:connect Software for t:slim Insulin Pumps FDA Approved…;
Product page: t:slim Insulin Pump…
