Up close and personal: My experience with the MiniMed 670G System

Lindsay Nicol, RN, CDE

I have been on the MiniMed 670G system and using Auto Mode for almost a year and I thought it might be helpful to share my experience. Before I started the 670G system, I had been using a pump for 20 years and a sensor for almost three years. It took me about 6 weeks before I could say “I LOVE this system!” I have found that managing my diabetes with this system takes patience and trust. It has been hard to change the routine that I have been using for management for almost two decades, but once I did I found that I was thinking about my diabetes management less and trusting that the system was doing its job to keep me in range.

I have found that it is important to upload my pump to Carelink about once a month, or more if needed, to assess the need for dose adjustments. The wonderful part about the 670G system is that there are really only two settings in Auto Mode (carb ratios and active insulin time) that make a difference in how much insulin the system is giving you which keeps the dose adjustments simpler. I also like to use the history menu to just quickly look back over the past week or two and see how I have been doing on average.

Two of the biggest adjustments were to figure out my exercise routine and treating lows. Before I started the 670G system, I had my exercise routine down with a lower temporary basal rate and about 15-20 grams of uncovered carbs. Now in Auto Mode, I use the temporary target feature and set it about an hour before activity and have it run through the activity. For some activities I have some uncovered carbs before but usually only 10-15 grams. For low blood sugar treatment in Auto Mode I need less carbohydrates, usually only need 5-15 grams to treat a low depending on how much insulin is still on board.

The Guardian 3 transmitter and sensors are a huge improvement from the Enlite sensors and transmitter that I previously used with my Medtronic 530G system. With my 670G system, most of my sensors last a full seven days, but if they don’t make it to at least day six, I contact Medtronic to report the failed sensor and get a replacement shipped to me for free. Medtronic will send you a replacement sensor if your sensor fails before day six and a container to ship the failed sensor back to them. I wear my sensor on my stomach or my leg and have found that wearing it in a north-to-south orientation works best for me. I also tape it exactly how it is shown in the training manuals and class with two pieces of tape. If I ever get stuck in a “loop” of repeated BG and calibration requests I have found that going into manual mode for about 30-60 minutes usually fixes it. Just remember to turn on the suspend before low feature when you are in manual mode.

I still have low and high blood sugars, but the extremes are far less drastic and far less frequent. I love looking at the graph on my pump and seeing the majority of my numbers in the green target range. Overall, I can say that I really do love my MiniMed 670G system, how it has improved my diabetes management, and how I have been able to think less about my diabetes!