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Animas 2020 Software Glitch

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By: FatCatAnna

The Roller Coaster Ride of Diabetes! Whoo! Whoo!

I am a Type 1 diabetic diagnosed back in the early 60's as a child. I am living in Montreal, Canada and enjoy scribbling about diabetes from time to time. I’ve had my ups / downs just like any person would experience with going through life - diabetic or not. My motto in life? Diabetes does not control me – I control it!!

You can find more posts/discussions at my Facebook page called "The Roller Coaster Ride of Diabetes" and also on Twitter under the name of FatCatAnna. Feel free to follow me at both places or send me a private message!

<< December 2012 >>

	Blog Entries
The joys of having Bowie my CGMS – Chapter 1 - Sep 02 Okay, for those of you who have never read my #dblogs before, I give names to all my little gizmos that I use for controlling my diabetes. What we have today, ... more
In a slump and scared - Jul 21 It’s rare for me to compose a #dblog that is not all “chirpy chirpy” … I think the last time I did one that was kind of down was at Diabetes1.org ... more
Surviving the Holocaust with Type 1 diabetes - Mar 27 " To the best of my knowledge, I am the only diabetic who survived years of imprisonment in German concentration camps. This is my story " The above words ... more
Sugar and Your Health - Mar 06 The other day I emptied out a 4 kg (about 10 lbs) of white sugar that I had dated a year ago when I opened it. I use white sugar purely for cooking (I make my own ... more
Eating from the ground - Yuca Fries - Feb 20 I am home now from a working holiday, in the Bahamas and Miami. Despite the weather being abit cooler then normal (they only get 2 weeks of winter - we were there in ... more

Posted: Dec 19, 2012 16:53	4 Comments.
Animas 2020 Software Glitch

Glitch

Okay – I maybe wording the title incorrectly – but this is my take on a copy of a letter from Animas Corporation. In a nutshell, as of January 1, 2016 my current pump aka George Michael (GM) will no longer function.

GM – who I acquired back in February 2012 – is no longer under warranty – that finished up in April 2012 – so he’s screwed for being replaced with one that will function past that date according to the letter. That’s despite him being a spanking brand new pump (manufactured in September 2011) – he has no protection – except I was told if I had technical issues I’m still permitted to call up for help. I am though forever an optimist thinking/hoping that he will last longer than the 2 years I seem to get out of the previous Animas pumps (Antonio Banderas and Salvador Dali) that I’ve had over the 4 years since I switched over from MDI (multiple dosage injections aka poor mans pump). Forking out $8K+ every 4 years (or get a loan at who knows what interest rate) – is not something I am looking forward. That’s a lot of cash to spend on a medical device that you hope lasts for awhile – but in the letter today – the software as of the Jan 1^st date will no longer allow the pump to work. So, my dreams of writing a blog about how long my pump has served me with similar stories of pump users having their pump still working for close to 10 years – is in my eyes – a pipe dream.

In the letter, dated December 17, 2012 – it states – “ We want to inform you that the software included in the Animas 2020 insulin pump only operates until midnight on Dec 31, 2015. After this date, the pump will no longer deliver insulin and will generate a Call Service Alarm”. They go on to state that “this end of use date is not currently included in our product labelling.”

Hmm, wonder why they left that out for users like myself when we are looking at purchasing a life saving device that some of us have had to pay out of pocket for? Would I (we) have questioned owning a pump whose software stops functioning on such and such a date? I know I would, and now am pondering if I should just forgo pumping after George Michael bites the dust, or consider going with a pump manufacturer that will guarantee that my pump software will remain working beyond the warranty time frame. I have been shopping around to find another pump manufacturer that is available here in Canada – and have found one – but for now – I am holding my breath until I really have to consider replacing GM.

One thing my DH who works for an aircraft manufacturer, was saying that software on avionic boxes (e.g. transponder, air data computers, cabin software) gets updated regularly. If these weren’t updated, technically you cannot fly the aircraft without some of those updates – aka “unserviceable”. Why cannot the 2020 pump software be updated so that it works past this date of “expiry” stated in the letter? This is a question I am going to be putting to Animas Canada – to see if they can give me a legit question.

Come on GM - please live to at least December 31, 2015 - don't be like your former brothers in arms !!!

Comments (4):

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By: : May, 03, 2013 13:54 PM

We were notified that our childs pump was out of warranty and two weeks later it died. Was anybody told that these pumps were programmed to die at a specific time when they purchased it ? I feel scammed. If this is happenning to all 2020 users this is very upsetting. I for one will not be buying the Ping one unless we get some very special pricing. This is absurd!

By: FatCatAnna: Dec, 30, 2012 17:16 PM

Many thanks to Swaff - who is a programmer - he has come up with a solution for those of us holding an Animas 2020 insulin pump that is out of warranty and maybe working into the 2016 time period - when the pump software no longer works. Here is what he wrote ....

"I found out that 2013 is just like 2002 in the day formation etc. If you need to MODEL your Animas after a year... it looks like 2002 will be the one! "

I'm going to confirm this with Animas Canada - and hopefully they give me a legit answer - as so far - they seem to be squirting around the issue of the software not working past 2015.

Keep your eyes posted either here - in the Forums - my Facebook page - The Roller Coaster Ride of Diabetes or Twitter.

By: : Dec, 21, 2012 15:24 PM

Hey Anna!!!

Okay, I am a little puzzled here as you can imagine. I have been using my medtronic 722 now for going on 8 years. (WOW, can you belive it) in any case, they do have a 5 year warranty on the product and I have replaced mine free from them a few times, once when I accidently walked into the pool with it on. (oops, not waterproof) Regardless, of the reason, the pump was replaced NEXT DAY at no cost to me.

I find the Animas registered letter something of a miff to me. They tell you in 2012 that you have 4 years to "GET a new pump" due to the memory capacity of your pump and it's inability to continue. I suspect that you need to do an update to your pump via WIFI or Via web to download new info? I find this confusing. The software on the pump should be installed in EEPROM (READ ONLY MEMORY) and should never require an update? i find it strange that there would be any limitation, unless as I suggested, there are updates done. My Medtronic never gets an update and will NEVER expire.

it would be interesting to know if you could set the time back on the pump to 2010 or to 2000 even and see what happens. I know with my pump, it could really care less about the date, so, i am unclear why yours is being so ... picky!

in response to your query about the lawsuit??? Not sure if you could persue it, as they have given you 3 years to find an alternative to your current pump, I suspect that legally they have given you the time necessary to make arrangements etc. and any lawsuit would be thrown out, or would be fought with such power, that you would acutally loose everything in the process. Medical systems have bounds of money to throw into these things and keep them in the courts long enough for you to give up the fight or go broke in the interim.

I believe that companies like Medtronic, Animas, Apple... should allow you to "trade in" your old pump for a new one and give you credit towards the purchase of a new one. In the case of these $8000.00 models, a $2000 credit for client loyalty would be ideal. (if you think it costs them $8000 to make one you would be soon off your rocker) I know MEDtronic pumps are about $1000.00 cheaper so, maybe they give you $1500. Suprisingly... last years model looks exactly like this years, size etc. so.. hey guys, GIVE US A BRE

By: FatCatAnna: Dec, 21, 2012 12:11 PM

** UPDATE ** - I have heard from Customer Relations in the USA (not Canada for some strange reason) and my bubble world has just burst - I'm not happy with the response from someone who obviously doesn't get my concern (and probably not a diabetic).

Ann who called me up in response to my email I sent, said in a nutshell (these are my words not hers which were more technical) that when the 2020 pump was originally released in 2000, the software was not made to go past 2015, due to memory capacity. I asked her if there was any way of a patch to enable folks like myself who can't afford to buy a new pump every 4 years, to enable the pump to keep on ticking. Again, due to memory size, this is not possible.

I'm kicking myself right now that I didn't ask other questions that had been going thru' my head and asked also by my readers of the blog - e.g. is 2020 being phased out and replaced by the Ping or Vibe? Can I change the date on the pump - if it's still working at that date - to an earlier calendar date? Ohhhh - old age - and memory really gets to me sometimes.

I am frankly disappointed in Animas's handling of this situation - and am now going to look for another pump manufacturer - that I hope will have software that will last longer. Again, question your pump rep when you are shopping for a machine that is costly and keeps you alive and kicking.

The other thing that really urkes me - being told to put the registered letter about my Animas 2020 pump into my User Guide. What does that do for me? Why did they have to release this letter now - when if they'd done it last year? would have been given a replacement pump (which I was with George Michael back in Feb - but with a pump that stops working in 2016). What does that say for their product they are selling to the consumer????

Class action suit anyone (as suggested by a D-mate of mine in Canada)? Well - at least for those of us that just finished their warranty this year - like - they've known since 2000 that the s/w would not function after 2015 in their 2020 pump - why wait until NOW to inform the user. Okay - gotta work - stop fuming here - not good for BG's.