3 ms·

> Each sensor also used a ludicrous amount of plastic for its applicator, like a tennis-ball-sized hunk of hard plastic, that you just chucked in the trash, eve

by bsder 3y ago

> Each sensor also used a ludicrous amount of plastic for its applicator, like a tennis-ball-sized hunk of hard plastic, that you just chucked in the trash, every week. Erm, let's be a little defensible here. These sensors have to be stored in sterile packaging--that means thick enough to be a barrier. That means it also has to hold the sensor in such a way that a palette can be gamma irradiated. It also needs to be resistant to drops, crushes, and other accidents. The sensor has to not be harmful with organisms irrespective of the understanding of the person using it. Any change to that packaging has to be re-evaluated for effects on that sterilization. And while I understand people having concerns, if the only reason we needed to use plastic was to treat folks with diabetes--I think the world would somehow manage.

coldpie 3y ago
Eh, maybe, but the bulk of the applicator is just empty plastic molded to fit an adult's hand. I have to believe they could figure something less wasteful out (reusable applicator?) if they wanted or needed to. Regardless, it was just another downside for me weighed against the relatively few upsides that made me quit using it. It felt terrible to chuck all that in the trash, especially when I'd have to do it two days in a row because a sensor failed. [1] https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/editorial/2018/05/11/105202822-insertion_device.720x405.jpg https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/edit...
- thecosas 3y ago
  T1D currently using G6 / Omnipod Dash / open source Loop app. The worst is every 90 days when I get a new G6 transmitter. It comes in a box the size of Two video tapes stacked on top of each other. I've tried reaching out to my mail-order pharmacy about it since I know there are smaller versions of it (or used to be), but nothing yet. From what I've seen, the packaging for Dexcom G7 and it's applicator seems much smaller than G6's. Side note: That applicator for G4 instilled fear every time I had to use it and I was already 20 years into T1D by then. The spring loaded applicators in G6/G7 are a big improvement as far as end user experience IMO :-)
  - coldpie 3y ago
    Hahaha, the huge syringe thing? That was pretty wild! The spring ones felt like putting a needle to a balloon though, always made me tense when I was putting one on. Yeah the Dexcom stuff always felt like they were going for super-premium Packaging Experience. But after the first couple weeks that wears thin, and now you've got all this crap to throw away. Like, guys, my pen needles come in a dense little cardboard box and it's totally fine. Chill out with the packaging.
    - thecosas 3y ago
      "Let me just hyperventilate really quick before I literally plunger this thing into my body" was always how it felt lol. Agreed that it's gotten old, especially if I'm traveling somewhere. Needing to cart what you needed (plus backups of course) ends up taking up a surprising amount of space. I will say that making the switch from a tubed pump (t:slim) to a tubeless (omnipod), it's drastically cut down on the waste for pump stuff at least.
innolitics 3y ago
I work in the medical device space (mostly software as a medical device). I attended the AAMI Nexus conference two weeks ago and attended a talk about making devices more eco friendly. The tension between safety and sterilization and packaging was definitely brought up. It’s a hard balance to make. One example I thought was interesting was that the NIH did a study to see if it was necessary to swab people’s skin and use gloves before a shot. It turned out it wasn’t and it didn’t make a difference, so they stopped requiring the providers to swab people’s skin or wear gloves, thus saving an immense amount of waste when taken over all vaccine shots.

by bsder 3y ago

coldpie 3y ago

Eh, maybe, but the bulk of the applicator is just empty plastic molded to fit an adult's hand. I have to believe they could figure something less wasteful out (reusable applicator?) if they wanted or needed to. Regardless, it was just another downside for me weighed against the relatively few upsides that made me quit using it. It felt terrible to chuck all that in the trash, especially when I'd have to do it two days in a row because a sensor failed. [1] https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/editorial/2018/05/11/105202822-insertion_device.720x405.jpg https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/edit...

thecosas 3y ago
T1D currently using G6 / Omnipod Dash / open source Loop app. The worst is every 90 days when I get a new G6 transmitter. It comes in a box the size of Two video tapes stacked on top of each other. I've tried reaching out to my mail-order pharmacy about it since I know there are smaller versions of it (or used to be), but nothing yet. From what I've seen, the packaging for Dexcom G7 and it's applicator seems much smaller than G6's. Side note: That applicator for G4 instilled fear every time I had to use it and I was already 20 years into T1D by then. The spring loaded applicators in G6/G7 are a big improvement as far as end user experience IMO :-)
- coldpie 3y ago
  Hahaha, the huge syringe thing? That was pretty wild! The spring ones felt like putting a needle to a balloon though, always made me tense when I was putting one on. Yeah the Dexcom stuff always felt like they were going for super-premium Packaging Experience. But after the first couple weeks that wears thin, and now you've got all this crap to throw away. Like, guys, my pen needles come in a dense little cardboard box and it's totally fine. Chill out with the packaging.
  - thecosas 3y ago
    "Let me just hyperventilate really quick before I literally plunger this thing into my body" was always how it felt lol. Agreed that it's gotten old, especially if I'm traveling somewhere. Needing to cart what you needed (plus backups of course) ends up taking up a surprising amount of space. I will say that making the switch from a tubed pump (t:slim) to a tubeless (omnipod), it's drastically cut down on the waste for pump stuff at least.

innolitics 3y ago

I work in the medical device space (mostly software as a medical device). I attended the AAMI Nexus conference two weeks ago and attended a talk about making devices more eco friendly. The tension between safety and sterilization and packaging was definitely brought up. It’s a hard balance to make. One example I thought was interesting was that the NIH did a study to see if it was necessary to swab people’s skin and use gloves before a shot. It turned out it wasn’t and it didn’t make a difference, so they stopped requiring the providers to swab people’s skin or wear gloves, thus saving an immense amount of waste when taken over all vaccine shots.