Kaleido pumping essentials
1 May 2020

I want to try pump therapy – but how do I choose a pump?

There are loads of different pumps available and finding the one that works best for you is a very personal choice. Here are some of the things to consider:

Type/Wearability

Conventional pump systems combine the pump and its controls in a single device. You can keep it in your pocket, attach it to your clothing or wear it in a pouch. The pump connects to your body with a long piece of plastic tubing which has a cannula (like a soft needle) at the end. The cannula is inserted under the skin, usually on the stomach, to deliver the insulin.

Another type of pump is a ‘patch pump’. These are smaller than conventional pumps, so they attach directly to your skin. You control them with a remote handset.

Kaleido combines the freedom of a patch pump with the versatility of a conventional pump. Kaleido attaches directly to your skin, like a patch pump, but unlike a patch pump, there is a separate infusion set (where the insulin actually enters your body). The infusion set connects to the pump by plastic tubing, and there are different tubing lengths available. This means the pump doesn’t have to be in the same place as the body patch. This gives you flexibility for how you wear it. And unlike a conventional pump, Kaleido is controlled bv a wireless handset, so you can make dose adjustments easily and discreetly.

Size and weight

You’ll need to wear the pump 24/7, so it goes without saying that size and weight are important. Kaleido is the smallest pump around, and weighs just 19g, but can still hold 200 units of insulin.

Usability

Pumps have a bad reputation for being too complicated and tricky to learn, but we’re here to change that! Kaleido is simple to use, easy to understand and quick to learn. And whilst we think our pump is pretty intuitive, we also have great training materials and customer care in case you do get stuck.

Compatibility/integration

Some pumps have integrated blood glucose monitors. This is great for some people, but others like to choose their blood glucose monitor and pump separately.

Kaleido doesn’t have an integrated blood glucose monitor. This allows you to choose the option that works best for you, whether that’s a standard meter, continuous glucose monitor or flash meter. And whatever you use, it’s easy to record your readings on your Kaleido handset.

Flexibility

You’ll wear your pump all the time, so it needs to be right for you. With Kaleido you can choose from 10 different colours of pump and handset. There’s also two tubing lengths and two cannula lengths. Kaleido gives you the freedom to find a combination that works for you.

Bolus calculator

Most pumps will have a bolus calculator to help you work out how much insulin you need with each meal, or to correct your levels. Using a few important stats, they take some of the guess work out of delivering a bolus. But some calculators are more sophisticated than others – our ‘Kaleidoculator‘ is easy to use and has some great features, like customisable settings to match your body clock, 24/7.