Medtronic 640g - battery removal

[lyndsayob]

I currently have the medtronic 640g insulin pump with saline solution in it before getting the real insulin next week. I'm looking to stop the saline for a few days and resume at the end of the week. I've removed the reservoir from the pump and the set from my stomach. Is it best to leave the pump on until I want to use it again or instead take the battery out for a few days? Thanks

 

[dancer]

If you take out the battery, you'll need to reprogram the pump when you decide to use the saline later in the week.

If you leave the battery in, will there be enough saline in the reservoir, or can you fill another reservoir with saline? I never used saline, so don't know what goes on.

 

[lyndsayob]

If you take out the battery, you'll need to reprogram the pump when you decide to use the saline later in the week.

If you leave the battery in, will there be enough saline in the reservoir, or can you fill another reservoir with saline? I never used saline, so don't know what goes on.

Thanks for the reply. I'll be putting a new saline reservoir in later in the week. Sounds like it's probably best to leave the battery in for now

 

[micksmixxx]

Hi lyndsayob,

You'll need to check how you've got your Medtronic 640G setup, ma'am, and look at the front panel to see how much charge there is remaining in your battery.

I've personally found that if there is insufficient charge remaining in the battery that taking it out and putting it back in it will refuse to light up the screen, and start alarming that you need to replace the battery.

Obviously, we don't know what sort of basal rates you've programmed into your 640G, so it would be difficult to ascertain as to how long it will be before it starts alarming at you. (I've set mine up to also indicate if it's been 3 days since I changed my reservoir, and also alarm if there's less than 15 units of insulin present.)

If you do decide to keep your pump running with no insulin present, be sure to rewind it as though you were going to carry out a fresh infusion change. That would give you a few days ... or even longer, dependent on your insulin sensitivity ratio (that's how much a measured amount of insulin would lower your blood glucose level by) ... before it alarms to tell you that your reservoir needs replacing.

Have you used another pump prior to the 640G, ma'am? If you have, your diabetes support team ... doctor/endocrinologist, diabetes specialist nurse, certified diabetes educator ... would be able to advise you on what your insulin sensitivity ratio is. This is a very important thing for you to know as you're MORE THAN LIKELY going to need to make adjustments to your basal rates and/or your bolus rates.

I wish you well, lyndsayob, and hope that you get to love your 640G as much as I've love all of my different Medtronic pumps over the years.

Lots of Love and Light.

Mick
x x x x
x x x

P.S. Please don't be offended, or alarmed, at the 'x's'. It's merely a logo, of sorts, that I've used for more than 40 years now.

 

[lyndsayob]

Hi lyndsayob,

You'll need to check how you've got your Medtronic 640G setup, ma'am, and look at the front panel to see how much charge there is remaining in your battery.

I've personally found that if there is insufficient charge remaining in the battery that taking it out and putting it back in it will refuse to light up the screen, and start alarming that you need to replace the battery.

Obviously, we don't know what sort of basal rates you've programmed into your 640G, so it would be difficult to ascertain as to how long it will be before it starts alarming at you. (I've set mine up to also indicate if it's been 3 days since I changed my reservoir, and also alarm if there's less than 15 units of insulin present.)

If you do decide to keep your pump running with no insulin present, be sure to rewind it as though you were going to carry out a fresh infusion change. That would give you a few days ... or even longer, dependent on your insulin sensitivity ratio (that's how much a measured amount of insulin would lower your blood glucose level by) ... before it alarms to tell you that your reservoir needs replacing.

Have you used another pump prior to the 640G, ma'am? If you have, your diabetes support team ... doctor/endocrinologist, diabetes specialist nurse, certified diabetes educator ... would be able to advise you on what your insulin sensitivity ratio is. This is a very important thing for you to know as you're MORE THAN LIKELY going to need to make adjustments to your basal rates and/or your bolus rates.

I wish you well, lyndsayob, and hope that you get to love your 640G as much as I've love all of my different Medtronic pumps over the years.

Lots of Love and Light.

Mick
x x x x
x x x

P.S. Please don't be offended, or alarmed, at the 'x's'. It's merely a logo, of sorts, that I've used for more than 40 years now.

Thank you! This is my first insulin pump so just getting used to it all. I've left the reservoir out overnight and no alarms so far. The pump thinks there's about 80 units left and with the saline solution it's set on about 7 units a day basal so I'm hoping I have a few days left before it starts alarming (by which time id be connecting it all again ). Appreciate the advice

 

[dancer]

@lyndsayob , remember that the plunger in the pump will continue to move down, even if reservoir has been removed. If you're going to continue using that reservoir, you will have to go through the process of changing the reservoir, rewinding etc, so that the reservoir will fit in with no problem.

 

[Juicyj]

HI @lyndsayob I also use the 640g and it's a great little pump

Just curious to ask why you're taking it off ? I also started on the saline trial for a week to get used to the pump, was a good initiation in learning how it worked and getting comfortable before getting the 'real thing'.

I also had a power failure last year on my last 640g and learnt that by taking the battery out resets the pump, so I wouldn't recommend taking the battery out for any longer than 5 minutes, so you're safe whilst changing the battery as it carries residual power, however if you do take the battery out then it becomes quite alarmed and will beep loudly until it get's a new battery.

 

[phoenix]

I agree that keeping the battery in is sensible for a few days.

Just a question from interest, does removing the battery for a few days actually reset this pump?
I ask because when I took my paradigm pump out of 'cold storage' where it had been for three years without a battery,it retained all the original basal etc settings. I admit I was surprised. [Not a thing one would normally do but I knew I would have to give back my current pump when I moved from France to the UK. Under recent regulations ,pumps there are now rented by the day rather than bought. When I went onto a new pump under these conditions, I carefully stored my older pump in the hope it would work if ever needed it. I had to give back my pump when I told them I was leaving but it works; though those settings did need a bit of tweaking]