Omnipod and airports

[mytype1.life]

Hi All,

I’ve been lucky to travel a lot this year and have always followed the same routine of presenting my letter at security and not walking through the bodyscanner. Each airport tends to operate differently, some times there is no follow up, other times I am asked to go into a private room and a swab is taken and other times I am searched manually.

I’m interested to find out other people’s experience. Also, today I was told I must walk through but I refused, was I right to do this?

 

[LittleGreyCat]

https://info.medtronicdiabetes.com/tsa-and-you-know-your-rights.html

"If you are wearing a Medtronic insulin pump and a Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) device, can you go through the airport body scanner? The answer is no. Medtronic has not indicated advanced imaging technology to be safe for insulin pump or CGM devices."

Also https://www.healthline.com/diabetesmine/airport-security-policy-and-diabetes#4

"
Reacting to DOC questions about the new TSA policy change, Medtronic responded to one person on Twitter saying not to take these insulin delivery devices through the scanners or X-ray machines.

And TSA itself confirmed this advice via its @AskTSA feed on Twitter, while also emphasizing that the full body scanning tech meets national health and safety standards so the radio frequency emissions are not dangerous.

Of course, if you wear a tubeless OmniPod pump or a CGM sensor, removing it is not an option, so a pat-down is the way to go anyway.
"

and

"Medtronic has conducted official testing on the effects of the new full body scanners at airports with Medtronic medical devices and have found that some scanners may include X-ray. If you choose to go through an airport body scanner, you must remove your insulin pump and CGM (sensor and transmitter). Do not send your devices through the X-ray machine as an alternative. The magnetic fields and radiation in the immediate vicinity of these devices can make them nonfunctional or damage the part of the pump that regulates insulin delivery, possibly resulting in over delivery and severe hypoglycemia."

So from this limited search it seems that you are correct to refuse to go through a scanner and you should not be asked to.

 

[catapillar]

not walking through the bodyscanner.

Why not just walk through the scanner? There's no reason with an omnipod not to. The advice for tubed pumps not to go through the scanner is because radiation can mess with the "brain" of the pump. The omnipod brain isn't in the pod, it's in the pdm. So you're fine to walk through the scanner no harm to your pump.

You'll get asked what it is when your pod shows on the scan and they will shrug and wave you through when you say it's your insulin pump.

http://www.shesugar.com/diabetes-an...ay-damage-diabetes-insulin-pumps-sensors-cgm/

 

[mytype1.life]

Why not just walk through the scanner? There's no reason with an omnipod not to. The advice for tubed pumps not to go through the scanner is because radiation can mess with the "brain" of the pump. The omnipod brain isn't in the pod, it's in the pdm. So you're fine to walk through the scanner no harm to your pump.

You'll get asked what it is when your pod shows on the scan and they will shrug and wave you through when you say it's your insulin pump.

http://www.shesugar.com/diabetes-an...ay-damage-diabetes-insulin-pumps-sensors-cgm/

That’s why I’m confused. My DSN gave me a letter saying I couldn’t walk through so I’m assuming there is a reason.

I have my appointment tomorrow so will find out.

 

[himtoo]

hi @tiredoftrying2017
on an omnipod too !!

I have traveled on a total of 16 flights this year ( most europe , but twice to USA and a couple of domestic flights in the USA too )

I have gone through a hands over head type bodyscanner at Manchester airport 2 times , and a bodyscanner once in amsterdam.
all the others have been normal walk through scans .

my carryon has been segregated for a search twice -- but was passed as fine ( I think it was the insulin in my frio pouch that caused the search )

I have been stopped for a swab of my pump and my libre on 3 occasions .

no problems with security at any of the airports - and never showed my letter ( but I do have one in case )

 

[DobbieTheElf]

hi @tiredoftrying2017
on an omnipod too !!

I have traveled on a total of 16 flights this year ( most europe , but twice to USA and a couple of domestic flights in the USA too )

I have gone through a hands over head type bodyscanner at Manchester airport 2 times , and a bodyscanner once in amsterdam.
all the others have been normal walk through scans .

my carryon has been segregated for a search twice -- but was passed as fine ( I think it was the insulin in my frio pouch that caused the search )

I have been stopped for a swab of my pump and my libre on 3 occasions .

no problems with security at any of the airports - and never showed my letter ( but I do have one in case )

I have flown about 4 times since diagnosis and they have never stopped to search my bag or anything like that. Then again, I don't know about the libre, because I haven't flown with it on.

I'm still dreaming of the day when they say 'Any sharps or liquids?' and I get to reply 'Yes, about 200 sharps and 16 vials of liquid' Just to confuse them