Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
It is possible to use the Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump during air travel. However there are some aspects which need to be considered:
- Please disconnect your infusion set during take- off and landing. Rapid and extreme changes in air pressure, for example in an air plane that is taking off or landing can influence insulin delivery, especially if there are air bubbles in the cartridge or tubing.
- Turn off Bluetooth on both devices (pump and meter) to prevent communication between pump and meter to comply with flight safety instructions.
Your healthcare professional will prescribe the insulin that is appropriate for you.
Optimal control requires a balanced approach. Insulin pump can certainly help you control your blood glucose level, but eating properly, monitoring your blood glucose and regular activity are equally important. The insulin pump doesn't take care of your diabetes—you do.
No. Insulin pumps are worn outside the body. They do not require any surgery or invasive procedures and can be disconnected as needed.
You'll need infusion sets (the tubing and connectors to attach the pump to your body), cartridges for the insulin, adapters (which connect the cartridge to the infusion set), batteries, battery covers and blood glucose monitoring supplies.
The system warranty coverage is against manufacturing defects. If your insulin pump or meter malfunctions due to intentional or unintentional misuse or mishandling, or if it is lost or stolen, any repair or replacement to the pump and meter is not covered under warranty.
The Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump is fully functional without the meter and can be operated manually. If you forget the meter, you will be unable to perform a bG check or receive bolus advice. You will need to calculate your insulin requirement manually and deliver the bolus using the pump.
You can only pair the Accu-Chek Performa Combo meter with your Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump.
The Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump will not be affected by walk-through metal detectors. We recommend you do not put either the pump or the meter through the carry-on baggage X-Ray machine. For full body scanners, we recommend putting your pump into STOP mode to avoid the chance of any interference with a body scanner machine. We recommend you obtain a letter from your healthcare professional stating you have diabetes, will be wearing an insulin pump and will be carrying consumables.
Theoretically a strong magnetic field can lead to a permanent defect in the pump but we have no known case of such defect.
No. You should never use your insulin pump near electromagnetic fields such as x-ray, computer tomography (CT) or MRI. Disconnect and remove your pump and leave it outside these areas. If you do not follow this instruction your pump can be damaged and quit operation.
Regarding infusion sets, there is no need to remove a steel needle infusion set for X-Ray or CT. However, we do recommend you completely remove a steel infusion set for MRI scans.
Like other electronic and communications equipment, the Bluetooth service on the Accu-Chek Combo system must be switched off for the pump and meter if directed by the airline. While the Bluetooth service is off, the Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump can be operated independently of the Accu-Chek Performa Combo meter.
To turn Bluetooth service off on the Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump, go to the Bluetooth Settings menu. On the Accu-Chek Performa Combo meter, go into the Settings menu, then Meter, then Bluetooth. Follow the instructions given on the screen.
The Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump can withstand brief accidental water contact such as rain, water splashes or accidental immersion (IPX8). Before taking a bath or going into a whirlpool, shower or swimming pool, you should disconnect and remove your pump. Your Accu-Chek Performa Combo meter is not waterproof and must be kept dry at all times.
To help protect the Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump, the Accu-Chek Spirit Combo adapter and battery cover should be replaced every 2 months.
We recommend the use of Lithium batteries where possible. The Accu-Chek Performa Combo meter uses 3 AAA (1.5V) alkaline batteries.
Battery life depends on Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump use, including daily insulin requirements, frequency of delivery and backlight usage.
For example
If used in a typical usage pattern of 50 Units / day using U100 insulin and normal operating temperature (23 °C ±2 °C [73 °F ±4 °F]) the battery life is approximately:
- Alkaline: 70 days for Bluetooth ® off; or 30 days for Bluetooth ® on
- Lithium: 200 days for Bluetooth ® off; or 80 days for Bluetooth ® on
- NiMH: 100 days for Bluetooth ® off; or 40 days for Bluetooth ® on
We recommend the use of Lithium batteries where possible. The Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump uses 1 AA battery (LR6 1.5 V AA alkaline, FR6 1.5 V AA lithium or 1.2 V rechargeable NiMH HR6 AA). You must select the correct battery type in the insulin pump setup when you replace your battery.
Do NOT use carbon-zinc, nickel-cadmium (NiCd) or super heavy duty batteries.
No. Your meter should already have a black code key inserted. Just leave it in place. Your meter is already coded.
The Accu-Chek Performa Combo meter uses Accu-Chek Performa test strips.
The system is compatible with the Accu-Chek Connect and the Accu-Chek Smart Pix device reader.
No. Your Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump can be paired with an Accu-Chek Performa Combo meter, and only those two devices will be able to communicate with one another. As a security measure, it's also not possible to pair more than one Accu-Chek Performa Combo meter with your insulin pump.
Yes. While the Accu-Chek Combo system has been designed to be used together for maximum benefit, both products can be used as stand-alone devices as needed.
The Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump and the Accu-Chek Performa Combo meter are only available as a set. You can experience the most benefit by using the pump and meter together. The pump can be operated as a single unit device. All the functions apart from diary/graphs and bolus advice are available on the pump itself.
The bolus advisor provides a recommendation of insulin units to deliver based on your blood glucose value, carb intake and personal settings such as your insulin-to-carb ratio.
When a warning is sent to the pump display, the pump will alert you by vibrating and emitting an acoustic signal. The warning will also be displayed on the Accu-Chek Performa Combo meter, so you don't have to access the pump to see the warning and take appropriate action.
Approximately 2 meters (6.5 feet). If the pump has begun to deliver a bolus and it leaves the communication range, the bolus dose will be completed.
The pump and meter use a globally approved communication standard called Bluetooth® wireless technology. This allows intelligent electronic devices to communicate with each other over short-range wireless links while maintaining high levels of security.
The Accu-Chek Combo system consists of the Accu-Chek Spirit Combo Insulin Pump and the Accu-Chek Performa Combo meter to provide blood glucose monitoring, bolus advice, remote control of the pump and extensive data management capabilities. It's discreet, customisable to your own needs and designed to be easy to use.
