Redesigning insulin packs for easy day to day use.

[MattBerry]

First off please excuse anything that appears to be ignorance, I am new to this forum, so be gentle .

I am a final year product designer, my project this year is to redesign current insulin packs for easy day to day use. My interest is from my granddad having type 1 and my work college having type 2, (insulin injections, and has to carry a rather large pack).
I am just really looking for opinions and information from users of such packs. My aim is to design a solution that is compact and portable. Basically something that can be taken everywhere with ease.

Is there anything vital I should take into consideration?
What are the most common components that I need to integrate into a design?

By all means send me to places to research and any other information you think I could benefit from.

Thanks for your time

 

[TT17]

Which part are you trying to redesign? The pen injector, the case that they come in or the bag you use to carry them around in

 

[MattBerry]

Well maybe all of it, so they could be all combined into a compact unit. Here is a great example of what I mean;

http://www.yankodesign.com/2012/09/11/easing-the-diabetic-burden/

This is sort of what I'm going for minus the wireless software integration.

 

[Gloucestergirl]

Hi

I've had a look at the website you mentioned and while the thing looks slick and neat, I just wonder if something like that is what many people would want to carry. It's rather bulky and would take up a lot of room in a handbag for instance. Would you also want to have your glucose meter and insulin in one pack? What happens if you lost it, that would be all your kit gone in one go. I carry a testing kit in my handbag at all times and my insulin when I need it if I am out. My testing kit is small (Accu-chek Nano) so doesn't take up much room, just the size of a small purse. The insulin is in a pen in a long and narrow soft, not rigid, fold over case that doesn't take up much room in my bag either. Some people only need to inject twice a day or even once, depending on their insulin so wouldn't want to carry the insulin around with them if they didn't have to. I inject four times a day, three with a quick acting insulin with meals and one at night before bed. If I'm not out I keep my insulin in a cupboard and only get it out when I need to. I wouldn't want to have to carry my testing kit AND the insulin if I only injected at home.

A few months ago my local Health Authority changed all diabetics over to a choice of two glucose meters, the Glucolab and Wavesense. I have been given the Glucolab and the first thing I did when I got it was to change the case for a softer sided one as the case it came in was chunky, hard to keep open and was generally inconvenient. My friend who has the same meter has done exactly the same thing that I did. I only use this meter at home as it is bigger than the one I keep in my handbag.

The only complaint I have about my testing kits is that the tubs that hold the testing sticks are the most bulky part of the kit and it would be helpful if they were in a flatter container rather than a fat round one.

I'm sorry if you think this isn't much help with your design but my feelings are that I would rather have a testing kit and insulin pen kept separate, although I think that a two-in-one design might suit some people it's not for me.

 

[MattBerry]

No this is great insight, thank you for your response. Yes I can imagine it is sometimes not always the best option to take everything with you. A two in one design, could be a concept I explore, maybe some kind modular system.

 

[TT17]

How about a small compartment that could contain a cartridge of insulin but could be activated with water like a frio (a wallet that can keep insulin cool be soaking it in water) or freezing it to keep insulin cool when needed but detachable when not needed. This could be extended to other parts of the system so you could attach your insulin pen and spare cartridge together or pen and tester or all three. Also maybe a small 'travel pen' which is shorter and maybe holds less units but would be more discrete on places like an aeroplane

 

[Sid Bonkers]

That video looks very interesting and I thought it seems a great idea to have everything together for those diabetics who are insulin dependant, two observations I would make though are:

1. no where to keep used lancets.
2. test strips need to be kept in an air tight box away from any contaminants and if left out become useless, so not sure how they are stored in the unit?


Edit: or third observation This may have been better posted on the T1 or general boards so as to get more feedback from those who use insulin the most.

 

[MattBerry]

Again this is all really great information . All these insights will be great for concepting ideas.

I do really like the one in the video, and too improve on it whilst being original, is kind of what I'm going for. Attaching things when needed is also a great idea.

Sid Bonkers do you think its worth posting the same topic on general or T1?

 

[Signs]

One minor point. I have an Lifescan onetouch which is the NHS standard issue in my area.
The test strips are held in a small round tube making the strips awkard to remove and almost
impossible to remove without spilling the whole lot when your hands are shaking with a hypo.

John

 

[anna29]

Hi All ...

If you wish for this topic to be moved into another place.
Just let us know and it can be done :thumbup:
We aim to help and support you all .

Anna.

 

[anna29]

One minor point. I have an Lifescan onetouch which is the NHS standard issue in my area.
The test strips are held in a small round tube making the strips awkard to remove and almost
impossible to remove without spilling the whole lot when your hands are shaking with a hypo.

John

Good point there John .

I have struggled getting a test strip out of container often roblem:
[use accucheck aviva strips]
Not just when shaking during a hypo . [they 'do' spill out everywhere ]

The top needs a good flip or yank to get it open/close , takes a really firm
grip on the lid is needed .
There are some persons with dexerity problems too !
Container can be too fiddly to open/close on 1st, 2nd even 3rd attempts ...

Less bulkiness to carry about - would be an advantage to all of us am sure .
Ladies handbags , gentlemens pockets etc...
I store my insulin pens,needles wipes in a slim line pencil case .
Brightly coloured one to find/access it easier.
Stuffed into my handbag!

Anna.

 

[MattBerry]

Thanks for your insight Anna and John, pockets and handbags is what I am aiming for, something modern and appealing.

If you think it would be best please indeed move this post .

 

[anna29]

Okay Matt - will move it all into the Type 1

As 'all' Type1's are insulin users and will have chance to chime in
with their thoughts and angles on suggestions for you .

Anna.

 

[MattBerry]

Much appreciated.

 

[AMBrennan]

Two things come to mind:
1) insulin packs (assuming you are talking about the insulin pen case) tend to lack a place to safely store used needles - if you open them accidentally, the needles will fall out in the Humapen case whilst the Clickstar "case" doesn't have enough room if you use it with the two pens it is designed for.
2) a safe way for removing the needle would be nice - you have to put the needle cap back on to unscrew the needle but that can be a bit fiddly, especially if you're on a moving train etc.

The device in the video does both these things. However, as a Linux guy I don't particularly like having one device that does *everything* *automatically* - I believe that it's better to have a really good meter, a really good insulin pack and a really good smartphone/android/iOS app to calculate the dosages. Focus on building a good interface and you don't need an all-in-one device.

 

[MattBerry]

One thing that worries me through my research is the cost effectiveness. NHS budget and cuts etc.

 

[MrSparkyjuls]

Hi
I've had type I since I was 10, I'm now 48. I'm on the Dafne regime. I use the Accu-chek Mobile which I love as there are no sticks to dispose of. It's a cassette in the BM machine that holds 50 tests at a time. I use a smallish black pencil case to carry my pen and BM machine around in plus spare needles and lancet pods. I find all these things no real problem to carry in my "man bag". My only concern with things like the one in your link is will the special monitor cost more and how easy will it be to obtain etc. I personally use ore filled pens with 3ml cartridges pre loaded. I have terrible neuropathy in my hands so find most fiddley tasks impossible. Many type I diabetics of a certain age group will be experiencing similar problems so you need to be aware of these things. Good luck.

 

[elainechi]

lets have some pretty ones for the girlsxxx
my daughter likes to carry her 2 pens attatched to her testing equipment please....some pouches don.t.....needs to carry finger pricker (multiclick a must).....monitor...glucose strips ...ketone strips...spate needles...battery...she changes needle daily!!!! so having a place for used isnt a problem.
place for id card on the outside and a key ringe for her glucotabs holder....BUT BUT needs to be pretty and trendy...the pump users have got them ..even fluffy so thats all we want...compact of course and for multi use meters...just in case we change it...oh i would pay a reasonable amount too

why im hete what about a universal diabetes id card for school kids....the teachers would get use to them and recognise them at a glance and not tell my child off for eating in class or wanting to go to the loo loads cos they.re running hi


thankyou xxxxx

 

[colaguzzler]

re redesigning insulin packs if you are redesigning the actual pen could i suggest that you make the numbers that you dial up more distingtive.
as the numbers tend to wear down thru the passage of time.
because poorly sighted diabetics have trouble with this i usually count the clicks on mine but sometimes it tends to double click

 

[Toni Barke]

I have been on the novo pen system since 1982. ! It's a nightmare for a lot of us ! My main prob has been that friends of my kids find what they think is a pen and take it from my hand bags at one point I had to place a padlock on my hand bag to stop this happening !! I know it is called a pen but wish it didn't look so like one for safety more than anything else !!