Blog - Diabetes News
Omnipod® 5 Launches with Dexcom G6 in the UK
When you’re living with type 1 diabetes, you likely spend a lot of time each day managing—and thinking about—your insulin and glucose levels. Taking care of type 1 diabetes (T1D) takes a lot of attention, dedication, and mental energy. Technology like the Omnipod® 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System can make looking after your glucose levels easier by using real-time glucose data to automatically dose insulin throughout the day and simplify calculating doses around mealtimes.
The Omnipod® 5 system is available for adults and children two years of age or older living with type 1 diabetes in the UK. The Omnipod® 5 integrates exclusively with the Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System and uses SmartAdjustTM technology to create a hybrid closed-loop system that automatically doses insulin based on CGM readings. With the Omnipod® 5 system and Dexcom G6, people can manage their glucose levels more confidently—and comfortably—throughout their day and even while they sleep.
What is a Hybrid Closed-Loop System?
A hybrid closed-loop system, also known as an automated insulin delivery (AID) system, uses three components: a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, insulin pump and an algorithm.1 It uses this computer algorithm to control glucose levels in the body by assessing incoming glucose readings from the CGM system and automatically administering insulin via the insulin pump based on that data.
A hybrid closed-loop system can automatically deliver basal insulin on an ongoing basis and even predict future glucose levels. But it still requires the user to announce meals and exercise, and to give manual boluses if needed.2
Today’s hybrid closed-loop systems usually include an insulin pump that’s attached to the body at all times as well as an rtCGM system that collects glucose data throughout the day. Hybrid closed-loop systems are a great option for people who rely on insulin, especially those living with T1D, and want to make their everyday diabetes management a little easier.1,2
How the OmnipodⓇ 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System Works
The Omnipod® 5 System combines tubeless insulin pump innovation with the power of CGM technology. The Omnipod® 5 System is made up of the wearable, waterproof* Omnipod® 5 Pod, which contains an algorithm, the Dexcom G6 CGM System and the Omnipod® 5 Controller. The Omnipod® 5 pod uses data from Dexcom G6 to make automatic insulin adjustments, day and night, to increase the time you spend in your target glucose range and reduce hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) and hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).3,4
Omnipod® 5 enables people who use insulin to manage their glucose levels without multiple daily insulin injections and routine finger pricks.†
How Omnipod® 5 and Dexcom G6 Help You Manage Diabetes
With continuous data from the Dexcom G6, the Omnipod® 5 system empowers you to manage your glucose levels with greater confidence. Omnipod® 5 works by delivering insulin automatically through a very tiny tube inserted just below the skin. SmartAdjustTM technology then uses glucose readings from Dexcom G6 to predict when changes in glucose levels might happen, automatically adjusting the insulin dose based on that information.
Using an automated insulin delivery system, like Omnipod® 5, can change how you look after your glucose levels every day. Omnipod® 5 has a suite of unique features that help support better diabetes management that includes:
A Discreet Wearable Pod
The Omnipod® 5 Pod is 3.6 x 5.3 x 1.4 cm, which means it has a footprint of about half the size of a regular sticky note with a low profile that sits close to the skin so it’s discreet and even more comfortable to wear under your clothing. You can wear the Omnipod® Pod on the back of your arm, your thigh, upper buttocks, or lower abdomen. The Pod is waterproof in 7.6 metres of water for up to an hour, which means you can go swimming, sweat, and take a bath or shower without worrying about removing it. Each Pod holds between 85 and 200 units of insulin and can be worn for up to three days‡, or until the insulin runs out.3
SmartAdjust™ Technology
Omnipod® 5 automatically adjusts your insulin doses so that you don’t have to think about taking the time to perform insulin injections. The system uses SmartAdjustTM technology, which is an algorithm—a complex computer calculation—to automatically increase, decrease, or pause basal insulin delivery every 5 minutes based on your Dexcom G6 glucose readings and customised glucose target.4
SmartBolus Calculator
While Omnipod® 5 can support insulin dosing throughout the day, you still need to programme your carbohydrates to enable the system to calculate and suggest a bolus. The SmartBolus Calculator makes it easier to figure out how much insulin to give yourself before you eat by suggesting a bolus amount based on your target glucose settings, how many carbs are in your meal and glucose data from Dexcom G6.5
Activity Feature
At certain points during your day, you may want less insulin. This might be the case particularly when you’re exercising. When the Activity Feature is turned on, the Smart Adjust technology reduces the basal insulin dose and automatically sets the target glucose to 8.3 mmol/L. You can turn on the Activity Feature for a duration of time between one and 24 hours.6
Custom Glucose Targets
Omnipod® 5 allows you to fully customise your target glucose based on the recommendations of your healthcare professional (HCP). Target glucose can be set at 6.1, 6.65, 7.1, 7.75 and 8.3 mmol/L.
You can even set up to eight different glucose targets at different times throughout the day with guidance from your HCP.§ For example, if you often experience lows when you wake up, you could set your morning target glucose to be slightly higher so that the Omnipod® 5 delivers less insulin during that time.5
Getting Started with Omnipod® 5
Omnipod® 5 is available to use with Dexcom G6. rtCGM devices like Dexcom G6 are recommended for all people living with T1D by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE).7 Current Dexcom G6 users can speak to their HCP about getting a prescription for the Omnipod® 5.
References and Footnotes
* The Pod has a waterproof IP28 rating for up to 7.6 metres (25 feet) for up to 60 minutes. The Controller is not waterproof.
† Finger pricks required for diabetes treatment decisions if symptoms or expectations do not match readings.
‡ Up to 72 hours of continuous insulin delivery
§ All diabetes management decisions should be discussed with your HCP.
1 Vettoretti M, et al. Combining continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pumps to automatically tune the basal insulin infusion in diabetes therapy: a review. Biomed Eng Online. 2019;18(1):37. doi:10.1186/s12938-019-0658-x
2 Templer, S Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery Systems: Past, Present, and Future Directions. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2022;13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.919942
3 Omnipod 5 User Guide. Omnipod. Accessed May 4, 2023. https://www.omnipod.com/sites/default/files/Omnipod-5_User-guide.pdf
4 Omnipod® 5 FAQs: SmartAdjust™ Technology. Omnipod. Accessed May 4, 2023. https://www.omnipod.com/current-podders/resources/omnipod-5/faqs/smartadjust-technology
5 Managing Glucose Levels on Omnipod® 5. Omnipod. Accessed May 4, 2023. https://www.omnipod.com/current-podders/resources/omnipod-5/managing-glucose-levels
6 Activity Feature. Omnipod. Accessed May 4, 2023. https://www.omnipod.com/current-podders/resources/omnipod-5/videos/activity-feature
7 Type 1 diabetes in adults: diagnosis and management. NICE guideline [NG17]. Updated August 17, 2022. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng17/chapter/Recommendations
* The Pod has a waterproof IP28 rating for up to 7.6 metres (25 feet) for up to 60 minutes. The Controller is not waterproof.
† Finger pricks required for diabetes treatment decisions if symptoms or expectations do not match readings.
‡ Up to 72 hours of continuous insulin delivery
§ All diabetes management decisions should be discussed with your HCP.
1 Vettoretti M, et al. Combining continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pumps to automatically tune the basal insulin infusion in diabetes therapy: a review. Biomed Eng Online. 2019;18(1):37. doi:10.1186/s12938-019-0658-x
2 Templer, S Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery Systems: Past, Present, and Future Directions. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2022;13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.919942
3 Omnipod 5 User Guide. Omnipod. Accessed May 4, 2023. https://www.omnipod.com/sites/default/files/Omnipod-5_User-guide.pdf
4 Omnipod® 5 FAQs: SmartAdjust™ Technology. Omnipod. Accessed May 4, 2023. https://www.omnipod.com/current-podders/resources/omnipod-5/faqs/smartadjust-technology
5 Managing Glucose Levels on Omnipod® 5. Omnipod. Accessed May 4, 2023. https://www.omnipod.com/current-podders/resources/omnipod-5/managing-glucose-levels
6 Activity Feature. Omnipod. Accessed May 4, 2023. https://www.omnipod.com/current-podders/resources/omnipod-5/videos/activity-feature
7 Type 1 diabetes in adults: diagnosis and management. NICE guideline [NG17]. Updated August 17, 2022. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng17/chapter/Recommendations