Insulin Storage
We all rely on insulin to keep us alive, and we all know how we are supposed to store it between 2° and 8° C. On the most part I am certain my fridge at home is reliable and keeps my insulin in tip-top condition. However when I went to Cape Verde, the fridge left a lot to be desired, and with the rolling blackouts, we seemed to suffer each day, I was concerned that my insulin would be spoilt. I had my trustworthy Frio pouch with me so I made sure to keep my spare insulin in this inside the intermittent fridge, although not ideal kept me safe for 2 weeks thankfully.
Upon coming back to the UK I decided to see what products were on the market to monitor insulin temperatures, and this is when I came across MedAngel.
Why MedAngel Though?
I was drawn to this product, I love a gadget see! The fact it is set up and run by a fellow Type One diabetic, called Amin, caught my attention straight away. It’s always good to try products that look great and work well and ones that are not made purely for profit, unlike many of the big Pharma companies out there. The reasons behind setting this up ran deeper than that with Amin. You can read more about why MedAngel was founded ➡ Here
What Is It Then?
I like to think of this as a CGM for my insulin. The MedAngel One Sensor and accompanying smart phone app tracks the temperature in the area where your insulin is kept and transmits to the app via Bluetooth. The app is available on both Android and Apple devices.
Is It Any Good?
I have been using this for a little while now and I love it. The fact that I can check the temperature of my fridge on my phone gives an added level of confidence that my insulin is in tip-top condition. Diabetes is hard enough without adding doubts over whether the hormone we rely on to live has been damaged in storage!
Won’t A Normal Thermometer Do?
Well yes, it would, but in the same way a finger prick test for your blood sugar levels will do. It gives you a number now, it doesn’t tell you what happened a few hours ago, or overnight. Look at this as a CGM for your fridge, you can do without but it is better with! Without having something in place you have no way of knowing if your fridge is on the way out. Also with MedAngel you can put a 2nd sensor in your kit you carry with you, something which just isn’t practical with a glass thermometer.
Easy Set-Up
This is a breeze to set up and get working. Even a technophobe will have this up and running within five minutes. (I use the Android version)
- Download the app from the Playstore – ➡ MedAngel App
- Create an account via the app
- Fit battery (supplied with kit) into the sensor
- Click ”Add New Sensor” your device will scan for available bluetooth devices, select the sensor ID. You can rename the device if you choose, I called mine ”Fridge”
- Select what you will be using the sensor for, either storing or carrying insulin
- Select the exact type of medication being stored/transported. The app knows the ideal temperature range for each medication
- Place sensor either in your fridge next to your insulin or in your kit bag where you keep your in-use insulin
- That’s it, all set up and tracking your medication temperatures. Now it will sync with your phone whenever you are nearby, giving piece of mind that you are doing all you can to keep the insulin in top condition.
Once up and running this gives a true overview of the temperature range your insulin has been in. It is a nice layout showing each day broken down hour by hour and what temperatures the insulin has been exposed too.
Although not the cheapest product in the world, I feel this is worth the money. Diabetes is complex enough without having doubts over the condition of your medication. This product at least removes that doubt from your mind.
It is available in the UK through Amazon – ➡ MedAngel on Amazon
For now
Take care, be temperature aware
Type1Bri
Disclaimer – I trialed this product at a reduced cost. This in no way has affected my views on the product
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