Virtual Slipstream 2021 happened April 22-24. We had the team from Ypsomed Diabetescare join us to share more about Ypsomed Loop and their vision for an interconnected diabetes future. Miss the session? Read on to find out the top things learned during Ypsomed’s session:, Device Interoperability: An Intro to Ypsomed and their vision for a connected future.
Disclaimer: Please check out CIM’s Partners Page to learn more about the companies we work with. This post was delivered as part of an event-specific sponsorship with our partner, and we strive to bring accurate and helpful information to the T1D online community. We still thought this info was important for you to know about.
Ypsomed is the new pump-kid on the block in Canada. At Virtual Slipstream, participants got the chance to learn from April Shepherd, Territory Manager, and Todd Durniak, General Manager of Ypsomed Diabetescare to learn more about what is next and what we have to look forward to with the company.
April Shepherd is the Territory Manager at Ypsomed Diabetescare. Prior to joining Ypsomed, she was a Territory Manager with Johnson and Johnson, Animas Canada division. With 18 years’ experience in medical device sales, 12 of those years assisting people living with Type 1 Diabetes and their Healthcare Providers, she has an understanding of the benefits of insulin pump therapy management. April’s experience with Type 1 diabetes and Insulin Pump Therapy is both professional and personal, having two amazing adult daughters that also live with Type 1. Her passion stems from providing a product that will truly make a difference in someone’s life, offering a better quality of life for those affected by diabetes.
Todd Durniak is the General Manger of Ypsomed Diabetescare in the US and Canada, bringing over 25 years of medical device commercial and technical leadership to this role. Prior to joining Ypsomed, he held the position of VP Strategic Innovation for BD Diabetes. Todd served as the EVP and GM Americas for DarioHealth, and Vice President and General Manager of Neighborhood Diabetes. Todd began his career in engineering with Johnson & and Johnson Orthopedics. Todd holds a BS of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Vermont and an MBA (honors) from Boston University.
If you’re brand new to Ypsomed, check out our blog outlining the key features of the Ypsopump. To start things off… wondering where the name Ypsomed came from? We found out! Ypso comes from the latin word Ipso for Self. Med is a short form for medication. Ypsomed as a company creates a portfolio of products for people who need to self-medicate. They have a long history in the insulin pump game, having developed their first pump in 1984, the H-Tron MRS. They are also the team behind the D-tron (Disetronic) insulin pump, launched in 2000. Of course, their most recent offering is the YpsoPump.
The foundation of the innovation behind the YpsoPump lies in it being the first ever app-based pump. That means that as future iterations of the pump software come out, they will be developed and approved as an app. It also means that the system will be able to integrate health data stored on a smartphone.
Current Version
Currently, the YpsoPump system consists of the YpsoPump itself, as well as the Ypsomed App, available in both the App Store and the Google Play store. Currently the app allows you to see all of your pump information on the screen including last bolus, current basal, insulin on board, and a bolus calculator. The data from the app is stored in the cloud meaning no need to upload reports for your clinic team ahead of appointments. Exciting for MDI users, you too have the ability to use these features in the Ypsomed App. Simply select Pen (MDI) under Settings tab under Therapy Form.
People were excited to learn about the Ypsomed Loop program for the first time during this session. April and Todd outlined the three step process that the diabetes community has to look forward to, complete with projected launchd dates, pending Health Canada approvals.
Step 1 - Ypsomed Assist - Q4 2021
The Ypsomed Assist update is expected to launch in Canada in Fall 2021. This first step in the Ypsomed Loop system will allow both Dexcom G6 and insulin pump data to be seen together on one screen on the Ypsomed App. The App will also have the function of being able to automatically make dosing suggestions in real time based off of sensor data.
Step 2 - Ypsomed Dose - Q1 2022
The Ypsomed Dose update is expected to be available in Canada in Spring 2022. This update will allow remote bolusing – delivering insulin boluses directly from the app with no need to pull out the Ypsopump.
Step 3 - Ypsomed Loop - 2022
Finally, Ypsomed Loop is expected to launch in Canada in 2022. The Ypsomed Loop program will allow automatic corrections of high and low sensor readings with no need to pull out, touch, or confirm anything on the pump itself. It is expected to increase time in range for users and will be able to provide ongoing updated algorithm improvements through app updates, not pump updates.
FInally, we were able to get the low-down on two future products being investigated to be integrated with the Ypsomed App:
Carb Estimator
This app upgrade is currently being tested out by the diabetes community and improved based on community feedback. The app is being created to use the technology of our smartphone camera to allow photos to be taken of the food we are eating and carb suggestions to be made based on that picture. The ideas is that this carb data will one day be able to be used to populate the bolus calculator in the Ypsomed app.
Ypsomed Advice feature
The Ypsomed Advice feature is being investigated to integrate health data from your phone with real-time diabetes management advice. For example, if you bike to work every day and indicate to your smartwatch that you are biking, the Ypsomed Advice feature may be able to make a suggestion for your diabetes management based on the history of what has happened to your sensor readings.
For more information on upcoming Connected in Motion events, visit our events page, here.
