MiniMed 640G (insulin pump)

Main article: Medtronic MiniMed-series Insulin pumps

MiniMed 640G — the insulin pump developed by Medtronic company imitating an artificial pancreas. The device the size about the smartphone stops supply of insulin when falling level of sugar below a certain mark and resumes giving at increase in glucose.

2019: Insulin pumps of Medtronic do not function in airplanes

In the middle of July, 2019 Medtronic warned patients that insulin pumps of MiniMed 600 of a series can cease to work in the airplane or in other situations with fast change of air pressure. The revealed problem concerns more than 189 thousand devices used worldwide. Read more here.

2018: Sick diabetes in Novosibirsk impose expensive pumps of Medtronic

Representatives of public organization on fight against diabetes of Dialayfsibir accused the Novosibirsk regional clinical hospital of imposing by sick diabetes of expensive vital devices in service, reported in RBC on August 6, 2018. According to them, conditions of purchase of such devices are written under the specific supplier.

In particular, only one device of production of Medtronic company — MiniMed Paradigm REAL-Time MMT-722 conforms to the requirements specified in auction documentation. This model of an insulin pump in regional hospital can be offered residents of Novosibirsk with diabetes, came to a conclusion in Dialayfsibir. Service of such pumps costs more than 29 thousand rubles monthly that does them by the most expensive devices in the market, emphasized in the organization. Read more here.

2016: Criticism of users

In August, 2016 the user of Reddit service writing messages under the name of UltrA_09 left a comment about work of a pump of MiniMed 640G. Several negative aspects in comparison with the device Medtronic Paradigm Veo Pump which the blogger used about 10 years were mentioned.

1. Dimensions. The first difference of MiniMed 640G from Medtronic Veo not for benefit of the first there were increased sizes. The new device is about 2 mm more on height and width, and on thickness — on 3.4-4.4 mm.

Users criticize an artificial pancreas of Medtronic MiniMed 640G

In the conditions of technology progress I hoped that Medtronic invests at least a few means in R&D to make more compact the same technology that it was used more than 7 years ago — the user complains.

2. Inconvenient. According to the author of article, MiniMed 640G has no intuitive management. The device is supplied a set of functions, however management with them too difficult and tangled. For example, for normal check of level of glucose in blood it is necessary to press the buttons not once, as in a case with Medtronic Veo, and six or seven. Besides, the pump has no function of wireless setup by means of the smartphone, the participant of Reddit told.

3. The closed system. MiniMed 640G works under control of the closed system using data in real time from continuously working glucose sensor in blood. The user who tested this artificial pancreas claims that function of permanent monitoring of concentration of glucose in blood was just non-working.

4. Besides. The user also noted in MiniMed 640G duration of independent operation, lower in comparison with Medtronic Veo, because of presence of the full-color screen, use of large AA batteries instead of AAA and a weak clip for fastening to clothes.^[1]

See Also

• MiniMed 670G

Notes