The Tandem Mobi — a new tiny insulin pump — goes on sale now for customers in the United States. Tandem Diabetes Care calls it the “world’s smallest durable insulin delivery system.” The Tandem Mobi is less than half the size of the popular t:slim X2 pump.
The new pump will be fully compatible with Tandem’s Control-IQ looping system. Users of the Dexcom G6 CGM can use the Control-IQ system to automatically adjust insulin doses in response to blood glucose changes, creating a closed-loop artificial pancreas system. Control-IQ “uses values from a Dexcom G6 CGM to predict glucose levels 30 minutes ahead and automatically adjust insulin, if needed, to help prevent highs and lows.”
The Mobi is not a tubeless pump (unlike the Omnipod system), but it is small enough to behave like one. Tandem sells an “adhesive sleeve” that attaches to the body — basically, a small pocket that sticks to your skin. You can slip the Mobi into the sleeve and run an optional extra-small 5-inch tube between the pump and the infusion. This will allow users to wear the pump on your legs or arms, for example, without needing to nestle the pump in a pants pocket or clip it to a waistband. It can also be used like a traditional insulin pump.
Tandem Diabetes Care
More details — the Tandem Mobi also:
Holds 200 units of insulin, despite its small size.
Is controlled with an iPhone — there is no screen on the pump, though there is a bolus button to deliver insulin without using the smartphone.
Is compatible with all of Tandem’s detachable infusion sets.
Recharges cordlessly, with inductive charging.
Is waterproof up to an IP28 standard, “tested at 8 feet for 2 hours.
Tandem also plans to secure compatibility for both the Dexcom G7 and the Freestyle Libre 3, the two leading next-gen CGM systems, in the future.
The Mobi is indicated for people with diabetes 1 over the age of five.
A press release states that “Tandem is now accepting and shipping orders of the Tandem Mobi system to customers. Orders will be processed on a first come first served basis, with initial shipments to users who meet specific eligibility requirements, including use of the Dexcom G6 sensor.”