Animas Vibe - pump is not primed

Spiker

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Spiker I'm surprised at you. as @CarbsRok said you need to lubricate the oring in the plunger.

Now go do the HokeyKoky and sort it out.
Well I've never done it before and never had the problem before. Why would the cartridge need more than the movement it already gets when loading it?

Also bear in mind that Animas tech support advised the alarm, sorry warning, only occurs when the plunger is not engaged against the reservoir cartridge. If the plunger is engaged against the reservoir cartridge, but won't move when the plunger drives it, that's an occlusion alarm not a "not primed" alarm. Sorry, warning.

The problem has resolved itself so it appears to have been a duff lot of cartridges.
 

sofaraway

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I had this problem, at one point it was going off several times a day. Problem was the cartridge cap, if it doesn't connect properly then it gives this warning. So have you changed that yet? I'd do that first. The other problem an Animas rep identified was that I was unconsciously twisting the cartridge cap back and forth.
 
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Spiker

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Thanks @sofaraway - Animas Tech support got me to check the cartridge cap several times. It was rock solid. They didn't suggest replacing it. That's a good idea.
 

StuartAylward

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Sorry to drag up a reasonably old post here. But I've been having this same issue with my Animas Vibe pump.
Ive been pumping since 2009, originally used an Animas 2020, never had any issues with that. I changed to an Animas Vibe when the warranty was up on the 2020. The first couple of years was fine, no real troubles. The occasional "pump it primed" alarm (sorry, warning).

Not sure when it changed, but suddenly I started getting more and more of these alarms (warnings). Randomly it seems. To the point that of it occurring up to 15times a day.
It does not matter or make a difference how much I insulin I re-prime, change set, change tube, change cartridge, change cap, change battery, and surprisingly change Pump!!

I called Animas support and they went through their usual scripted question and answer session. I followed their instructions to a T. No changed, the alarms (warnings) still occurred so I called back and they seemed to agree it was a faulty pump. So they sent out a new one.
Within MINUTES of setting up my brand new Animas Vibe, guess what? "Pump not primed, no delivery"

As I have said, I've been pumping for nearly 7years bow, i do K ow what I'm doing with sets and cartridges, filling them and loading them, I just can't see how it could be me that's the problem. It must be a fault with the Animas. I Google's the error message this evening hoping to find that others are having g the same issue and this was the first result. So I guess it's a little nice to know it's not me, others are having the same issue.

I have an appointment next week with my pump team. She's already aware of the issues I've had with it, and i think I'll be asking if I can change the pump. Maybe the Accu chek insight? My wife is also type 1, in a pump and she uses the Accu chek combo system. She seems pretty happy with it, and it holds nearly twice the amount of insulin. In hoping the Insight is available. If i can't change pumps now, I K ow the warranty is up next year on this pump.

Its safe to say I've had enough of this pump jot primed alarm, it's annoying and it's winding me up the wall!!

So is anyone else still having this issue?
 
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CarbsRok

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I had the not primed alarm quite a few times and solved the problem by turning of the dead mans handle. (Alarm for no buttons pushed for x hours) Perhaps turn off alarms or as many as you can and see what happens.
Pump isn't near your mobile phone is it?
Not sure but think the Insight pump only holds 160 units and you have to use novorapide sp* as that's all that is provided in the prefills.
 

StuartAylward

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Good shout, however my setting is set to 12 hours :-(. I get these alarms sometimes every 5-10minutes!

Interesting about the 160units, that sounds like a pain, after priming the tube probably only have around 145? Maybe I should consider the the combo like my wife.

Accu Chek seem to have all the great theses on different models but haven't figured to put them all together in one system yet... The Mobile cassette technology on a pump system would be ideal.
 

CarbsRok

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Good shout, however my setting is set to 12 hours :-(. I get these alarms sometimes every 5-10minutes!
Yes my alarm was set for 12 hours and as soon as I disabled it the problem went away!
 

MushyPeaBrain

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@StuartAylward have you tried using cannulas from a totally different batch? I use the Inset IIs and started having this problem with a batch of grey ones. Animas refused to believe it was the sets. I ordered 2 boxes of pink and hey presto the issue stopped.
 

StuartAylward

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@StuartAylward have you tried using cannulas from a totally different batch? I use the Inset IIs and started having this problem with a batch of grey ones. Animas refused to believe it was the sets. I ordered 2 boxes of pink and hey presto the issue stopped.
Yes I've tried this too, I usually use the Comforts that you manually insert, but i have tried the insets too with the insertion device. I've changed boxes and batches if sets and cartridges and nothing seems to resolve the issue.

I'm interested to see if disabling the no buttons pressed feature will resolve the issue though. This is the only thing left I think that I haven't tried.
 

StuartAylward

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Yes I've tried this too, I usually use the Comforts that you manually insert, but i have tried the insets too with the insertion device. I've changed boxes and batches if sets and cartridges and nothing seems to resolve the issue.

I'm interested to see if disabling the no buttons pressed feature will resolve the issue though. This is the only thing left I think that I haven't tried.
It just seems odd to me that it's two different pumps down no the same thing. Never had the issue with the 2020. Bug in the Vibe firmware maybe?
 

MushyPeaBrain

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It just seems odd to me that it's two different pumps down no the same thing. Never had the issue with the 2020. Bug in the Vibe firmware maybe?

I never had any issues with my 2020 either. Animas quality has gone downhill in recent years, mainly due to cost cutting. The insets are nowhere near the quality and smoothness they used to be. Two friends using the vibe found their pumps failed when they went swimming as they weren't sealed properly. I'm tied in for another 3 years but unless they sort themselves out I will be changing when the time is up!
 
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StuartAylward

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I never had any issues with my 2020 either. Animas quality has gone downhill in recent years, mainly due to cost cutting. The insets are nowhere near the quality and smoothness they used to be. Two friends using the vibe found their pumps failed when they went swimming as they weren't sealed properly. I'm tied in for another 3 years but unless they sort themselves out I will be changing when the time is up!

I couldn't agree more. When i originally called them about the issue, It really felt so scripted that she wasn't listening to a word I was saying. Then on the second call, when they said I should send it back as it appeared to be faulty, she told me the UK team would call me the next day to arrange the swap for a new one. Only it wasn't the next day, it took almost two MONTHS for them to call me. Really, the only called because I received a letter about an Animas re-call, and that my pump was likely to be affected. I wrote a note on the return slip saying I needed to return it anyway but had been waiting over a month for them to call me. Two days later they called. She even said on the phone that she'd read my note, so evidentially the US team had not contacted the UK team like they had said. She did sort it pretty quick after that, but i think it's poor poor service for them to forget to do something like this.

It's a shame, I like the Animas brand, and I do like the Vibe pump itself, easy to use and very robust i've found, but this issue just winds me up a treat. I have a little one now, only 5 months old, and i just can't be dealing with my pump going off all the time when i'm trying to look after my daughter. No sleep, fussy baby, faulty pump. I signed up for the lack of sleep and a fuss-pot, but i didn't sign up for a faulty pump!! I dread the "fur elise" tune coming from my pocket now.... Occasionally it'll just be a low cartridge warning, but mostly, it's "pump not primed, no delivery".

I'm potentially tied in til next November (according to my pump nurse), however according to Animas, the warranty has already run out. So who knows, maybe i'll be able to change sooner.
 
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CarbsRok

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Thinking back, it wasn't the Vibe I had the problem with it was the 2020. If you think about it though they are basically the same pump with a few extra bits added to a very ancient device.
When I started pumping 7 or 8 years ago I had the Cozmo pump and even then it was more advanced than the Vibe is now.
Saying that though I have always had very good back up from Animas regarding customer support.
 

StuartAylward

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I chose to move to the Vibe when the warranty on the 2020 was up, mainly because at the time i was considering self-funding CGMS, and the vibe has the functionality to be a cgm receiver (which is the really expensive bit of self funding). Alas, there is no way i can afford that now anyway, so it makes no odds to me anymore about moving away from it.

The only thing I don't like about the Accu Chek Combo system is the test strips, i've been using the Accu Chek Mobile meter for years now and i really like the all in one approach. If Accu Chek could combine that technology with a pump system, they'd be onto a winner for sure in my opinion, they have great technology, but i think they need to take the best bits of separate systems and make one awesome system!
 

CarbsRok

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Yes I love the CGM side of things, it has been an eye opener for me. I did self fund the sensors for a year managing to stretch each sensor to over a month which helped no end with the cost. I'm lucking in that I managed to find an organisation that would fund my sensors for me on a yearly bases. There are very few bells and whistles on the Vibe but the CGM was the clincher for me.
 
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iHs

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I chose to move to the Vibe when the warranty on the 2020 was up, mainly because at the time i was considering self-funding CGMS, and the vibe has the functionality to be a cgm receiver (which is the really expensive bit of self funding). Alas, there is no way i can afford that now anyway, so it makes no odds to me anymore about moving away from it.

The only thing I don't like about the Accu Chek Combo system is the test strips, i've been using the Accu Chek Mobile meter for years now and i really like the all in one approach. If Accu Chek could combine that technology with a pump system, they'd be onto a winner for sure in my opinion, they have great technology, but i think they need to take the best bits of separate systems and make one awesome system!

I swopped from the AccuChek Combo to the Animas Vibe because of the cgm and also because I knew which way the wind was going to blow regarding teststrip prescribing. However, I fought to stay with the AccuChek Expert meter because of the way the bolus wizard was easier to see and use on the Expert than it is to see the Vibe Bolus Wizard menu display outside in sunlight. The Vibes LCD screen is not good in sunshine even with the contrast set to 10. I always have to turn away from the sun and kneel down bending over to form a sun shield which then makes others wonder what on earth I am doing...
Its easier to just take the bolus advice from the Expert and then just press Normal bolus on the Vibe (which comes up big)and deliver the bolus that way which saves the day.

The Combo and the Expert meter can be stored in a Siemens c25 mobile phone case (ebay leather ones) and then by rubbing a tiny bit of talcum powder down the sides of the case and at the back, the meter can be slid in and the display is visible through the see through window. A bit of Stanley knife trimming at the bottom of the case enables the slot for the teststrip to be inserted and then by getting hold of a black 25 teststrip container and placing that across the top of the meter inside the phone case and placing Aviva strips inside and then placing a piece of black cut off innertube from a bike around the black strip pot, glue a bit of velcro grip side adhesive to the top flap of the phone case so that the testrip pot is held in place securely. Get a SoftClix black finger pricker and push that into the keyring at the back of the case. Just one click down to set the spring on the pricker and one click down again to release it. This more or less gives the same set up as on the Mobile meter but is less obvious.. Ive shown my creation to AccuChek reps and they thought it was fairly good but nothing as yet has yet been made. I can do a bg test standing up if need be and people think that I am using a mobile phone to send a text msg so are not too much the wiser than watching me get a bulky case out of my bag and try to lay it flat on my lap to put a strip into it etc....
 
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ronialive

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Hi Spiker, I have recently had the same problem. I phoned animas and they talked it through with me.
Apparently the pump vial has a lubricant in it which makes it run smoothly. They asked how much I was moving the plunger before I put it in the pump. I was taught to pump it several times. They said that it should not be done more than twice and once extra with the insulin in it. Not having the lubricant stops it from running smoothly. However if your sugars are so high- I assume that you disconnect and re prime it. You don't need to refill cannula and don't need to prime more than 3 units. then reconnect.
Mine was much better once I started to move plunger up and down once- then draw up insulin and do it again to remove air bubbles- then this left a spare "plunge" if the bubbles were still there.
Since then I had a different alarm and everything went blank and they phoned out of the blue after saying it is fine to say don't use it. have another.
Maybe try this and if not ring them again
 
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ronialive

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Yes I love the CGM side of things, it has been an eye opener for me. I did self fund the sensors for a year managing to stretch each sensor to over a month which helped no end with the cost. I'm lucking in that I managed to find an organisation that would fund my sensors for me on a yearly bases. There are very few bells and whistles on the Vibe but the CGM was the clincher for me.
who did you get to fund them as I need to have them to get my control sorted and only earning £700 a month to run a family I just cannot afford to self fund. I am going to ask clinic about it next appt
 

ronialive

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Where are you @Spiker ? Need me to post you a reservoir? when you start are you pulling it back and fore for 4/5 times before you fill with insulin?
I have been told by the company not to do this as it is false information. Since I have stopped I don't get the not primed mark. They said no more than 3 as it uses up the lubricant. And that should include the drawing up of insulin
 
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CarbsRok

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I have been told by the company not to do this as it is false information. Since I have stopped I don't get the not primed mark. They said no more than 3 as it uses up the lubricant. And that should include the drawing up of insulin
Read the instructions that are enclosed with the cartridges. Where it states pull back the plunger 2 or 3 times and does not mention anything at all regarding including this in the drawing up of the insulin.
 
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