a re-design brief.

I keep saying that design matters. Well lately I've been thinking about what I would do if I could redesign the insulin pump. I know that engineering matters first, but for this exercise, let's assume that the engineering works. At this point I'm interested in what I would actually change to make an insulin pump better. Better to live with. Better to interact with. Better integration into everyday, 24/7 living. What doesn't work? What bugs the crap out of me. What is the actual design problem?

A friend of mine who's an accomplished designer put it perfectly. Don't focus on the solution. Define the problem. So that's what I'm going to do. I want to create a design brief for the people who could do something about this. It takes the identification of the problem for the problem to be solved. It takes a picture first to make a change. It takes a request before anything will evolve. It could be fun. It will definitely be cathartic. And who knows what could come of it. You just never know unless you try.

And if anyone has any thoughts about design issues or annoyances or problems they've experienced in with the pump, I'd love to hear them. I'm interested in aesthetic issues, user issues (like readability or tube snagging or function navigation etc.), as well as integration issues (like how easy or difficult it is to wear with clothes, like dresses for instances, or the clip, it's size, the hardness of it etc.). Since I'm only one person I have only one experience. Any other insights you might have would be great. Plus how cool would it be to turn the silent endurance of these issues into a healthy and positive conversation. A conversation that could, very possibly, bring about a change!

Thanks for the image from skiingutah.

Comments

[Chrissie in Belgium]

I like my Cozmo pump, but I have found it to be extremely important that when I clip the pump onto my clothes, the tubing MUST leave the pump from the bottom. In this way bubbles that form in the cartridge do not leave via the infusion line but remain in the pump. In this way I avoid bubbles being delivered rather than insulin! Maybe for others small bubbles are unimportant, b/c their insulin amount is larger, but I only take 14U per day. For me bubbles cause trouble. For children who use small quantities of insulin, bubbles cause trouble. Bubbles are another element that can mess up our calculations. So I want two things: One - the clip on the pump carrying case should allow us to position the pump as we desire - for me this would mean that the line leaves the pump from the bottom so that if a bubble has formed it will NOT go into the line. Secondly, I want to be able to easily SEE the bubbles if they do get into the infusion line. Why couldn't the air make the plastic turn RED so you easily see a bubble? Manufacturers should remember that many diabetics do not have the best vision. Help us see the bubbles in the line - or figure out a way of preventing them from happening. A third point is that the text on the pump screen is sometimes not easily read. To read the text it is necessary to remove the pump from its carrying case b/c the transparent plastic window of the case reduces visibility. Use a plastic in the window screen that enhances rather than decreases visibility. Some plastics are so hard to read through due to reflections on the surface. It is such a nuisance to have to continually remove the pump from its case!

[Sarah]

I have a paradigm 515 and I don't like the small creases in the pump. They collect grime, and it is disgusting. I want my pump to look beautiful without having to get a toothpick or nail file to clean out dead skin cells.

[Lenna in Oregon]

I wear a Cozmo pump. I love being a pumper. It has improved my control but not solved the "brittle" problems... As to re-design: I would love to be able to carry it somewhere other than a pocket. I WANT TO WEAR A DRESS AGAIN!!! The Cozmo has a glucose meter attached, IT'S GREAT but bulky. And I have no way to attach a strap or hook to it as the outside is smooth and has no slot or hole to hook to like so many digital cameras. Digging the pump out of my bra at chuch to check my blood sugars IS NOT AN OPTION! I find the thigh pouches UNCOMFORTABLE and annoying after 8+ hours at work... A way to hook it to a strap or affix to the outside of a dress would be fantastic.
Also if it was softer somehow at night. I sleep in a nightgown and found if I park it in my armpit it bothers me the least. The only thing I've found it use is Pump Wear's Bra-Pouch Pack but the garter hooks are frustrating.
As to the bubble problem expressed by Chrissie in Belgium--I squeeze out all but the last bubble when I fill the insulin cartridge. When I load the cartridge I make sure the bubble is at the top being the first thing to be pumped into the tubing. Thumping it with you finger while holding it straight up works. I watch the insulin enter the tubing when filling the tubing and follow the bubble out to the end. I never have bubbles in my infusion set this way. Also full the cartridge with room temperature insulin, it bubbles less. And fill the cartridge SLOWLY you will have fewer bubbles. I fill a months worth of cartridges at a time when I get my insulin and refrigerate them after filling.

[Chrissie in Belgium]

Lena, Thanks for your kind help - BUT, BUT, BUT I do all those things already! I find that particularly in the summer bubbles can LATER form in the cartridge. Such bubbles can occur when the pump is jiggled around and due to temperature changes. I DO fill with room's temp insulin! Thanks for your advice anyhow. Keeping the pump upside down is just an additional safety measure which I have found works well!

[carol]

Lenna: I was told not to prefill cartridges as the plastic leeches the insulin. Have you ever had effectiveness issues?