I came here looking for ideas and strategies to add to what I already know about diabetes and decided to leave information for people who are doing the same. I make YouTube videos about the Minimed 670G, and I have done a LOT of work in order to understand what it does and why. I am one who started strong in auto mode and even sang its praises, only to return to manual mode in frustration. I believe people will have a WIDE variety of experiences with this pump, but there are definitely some things to keep an eye out for. I try to help people who are new to the pump or still are unclear what’s going on figure out important concepts like minimum delivery, micro boluses, suspends, settings, etc. I am happy with the 670G at present, but learning it has been no small task. If anyone cares to chat about it, I’m around. :). And ONLY because the moderators said I should, I’m including a link to the videos. I only make them to help people identify what’s behind some of those frustrating 670G numbers and hope they are helpful to people in here. If they’re not, for any reason, I’d be happy to take it back down. This disease is crazy enough as it is to not need serving of “not helpful” on the side. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiMQaJVZgIyI36et-lrizJQ
@Nickyghaleb
If not running the 670g in auto mode, what would you say are a couple of the major items that make this pump model better or preferred over the 630g?
That’s an excellent question because auto mode is the main tourist attraction. 
excellent and tough. Once you’ve committed to this pump, it’s yours. You stop thinking about what’s wrong with it…or at least try to. If I were just coming over to it now without any interest in auto, I’d find much of it to be comparable to the 630. I’d also probably be annoyed by a few things… like the button-pushing. It feels something like “click click click click” and that was “enter”. The battery life is far shorter. It’s even quieter… which turns out is kind of a negative in an insulin-delivering device. It is, however, also WATERPROOF. That’s huge. I had nightmares for 10 years about falling into water with my pump. Don’t have them anymore. The 630 also had the threshold suspend, which is like the manual suspend, but the 670G has some choices in settings. You can choose between “Suspend On Low” or “Suspend Before Low”, and that gives a little room to give it that custom fit feel. Some people prefer “before” to head off lows whereas some prefer “on low”, myself included, because I know it’s there to catch me, but it doesn’t suspend me preemptively. I also see people have purchased some pretty nifty “grips” (I think they’re called) to dress up their pumps. There’s that, too. 
I’d say one other major improvement of the 670 over the 630 are the better guardian sensors, rather than the enlite. The guardian sensors last an extra day, too. (I am still using the 630g - which is also waterproof, which I also like a lot!).
Is the 630 waterproof?? I wore one for a year, and either the memory is gone, or I never knew! 
I agree the Guardian sensor is an improvement, but it’s still a frustrating experience for me. I read a lot about sensors, and it is understood that sensor performance is very much intra-user specific, and we can all be wearing the same sensor and truly have different results. So maybe I’ve been cursed with sensor unreliability, but the curse didn’t seem to cover my Dexcom as thoroughly as it does my Medtronic sensors. It can make for a very frustrating experience. Just in the past 2 days I’ve had my sensor report a 93 when I was a 220, and a 253 when I was a 360. Now the first instance was when I was having some carbs in order to start my exercise, but I wouldn’t have had any idea if I hadn’t decided to test one more time before starting. And the second time… it was a blur. Something about kettle corn popcorn… I’m not proud. BUT if I had had any idea where I really was, it would’ve been party over. It’s nice when I can look down at my pump and trust that the number there represents my blood sugar. That isn’t the case as often as I would like.
@Nickyghaleb
Even the 530g came with IPX7 (ie - 3 ft of water for 30 minutes).
The 630g/640g/670g increased that to 12 feet of water for 24 hours. (You know for those times it falls to the bottom of your pool and it just slips your mind to pick it up until the following day.)
However if you read the additional information in the user manual around this, Medtronic (IMHO and disclaimer it is remotely possible that I am not the biggest fan of Medtronic but anyhow) does nothing but add confusion around this. (Well - not for the 630g - that seems very up front and straight forward)
So for the 530g which supposedly is good for 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. First they state:
The pump was tested and met requirements for IPX7 at time of manufacture.
Which clearly is “3 feet of water for 30 minutes”. The whole point of having a “standard” like IPX7 is so people have a “standard” way of understanding what is being referred to.
Next the 530g manual goes on to say:
It is not known how much water is needed to damage your pump. You should avoid getting your pump wet. To shower, bathe, swim, or participate in water activities, always disconnect from your pump and reconnect after you are out of the water.
If you inadvertently submerge your pump in water, dry the pump quickly using a soft, clean towel and verify that it is working properly by selecting Selftest from the pump’s Utilities Menu.
And the 530g manual goes on to state in regards to the pump warranty:
This warranty is valid only if the MiniMed insulin pump is used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. This warranty will not apply:
[clip]
If damage results from negligence or improper use, including but not limited to: improper storage, submersion in water or physical abuse, such as dropping or otherwise.
Yeah. So much for that IPX7 on the 530g.
Ok - let’s take a look at the now waterproof 630g/640g/670g.
630g warranty per System User Guide
The 630g has the warranty listed in the system user guide and has no listed exclusions due to water. Not a mention. Further the 630g has listed multiple times in the System User Guide the following or similar:
At the time of manufacture and when the reservoir and tubing are properly inserted, your pump is waterproof. It is protected against the effects of being underwater to a depth of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) for up to 24 hours.
So for the 630g. No exclusion in warranty and specifically stating waterproof. I would have zero issues taking this pump in the water. I would expect it to function with no problems and if there were issues, the company will stand behind the warranty. Nice. Upfront and as it should be.
The 640g states the same “waterproof” capabilities as does the 630g. However the 640g does not specify in the System User Guide what is covered in the warranty. It sounds like the warranty for this may be different depending on the country this is distributed from. So this would be an unknown until reading the specific warranty that came with the pump for a given country. (This 640g is only available outside the USA per my understanding.)
The 670g. This is where it gets a bit strange. The system user guide states this:
At the time of manufacture and when the reservoir and tubing are properly inserted, your pump is waterproof. It is protected against the effects of being underwater to a depth of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) for up to 24 hours.
Appears to be word for word the same as the 630g. But then skip to the warranty. This is what the warranty states for the 670g per the System User Guide:
This warranty is valid only if the MiniMed insulin pump is used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. This warranty will not apply:
[clip]
If damage results from negligence or improper use, including but not limited to: improper storage, submersion in water or physical abuse, such as dropping or otherwise.
That sounds to be word for word right out of the 530g manual. So Medtronic for the 670g is saying the pump is waterproof but if there is any water damage the pump is not covered under the warranty. That does not seem right.
Or you’re dead. 
Or you’re dead. (I already ruined the joke). 
Snorkel? And waterproof book?
ha ha ha
(And too much time on one’s hands)
That is SO interesting. I want to sit down and look at it all again and, after I finish laughing, give you a proper response. I’ve got family occupying my personal space right now… but I’ll be back.
Medtronic has been doing this for years.
I paid out of pocket one year, to upgrade my pump, maybe a 511 to 512, specifically because the new model was waterproof. Within a year they sent letters saying it was no longer waterproof and would not cover damage from water.
That is just not right. Potentially not even legal. The warranty in effect when you paid is likely the warranty the company is legally obligated to follow. I would actually be furious.
Pretty obvious from my other posts that I like the Tandem t:slim X2 which we use. Anyway, the t:slim is listed as being tested to IPX7 specs (ie - 3 feet for 30 minutes) and Tandem specifically says this is NOT waterproof. They call it “watertight”. lol. I smell the sent of lawyers getting their hands involved here.
The specific quote regarding water and the t:slim X2 from the user manual is:
Your t:slim X2 Pump is watertight to a depth of 3 feet for up to 30 minutes (IPX7 rating), but it is not waterproof.
Your pump should not be worn while swimming, scuba diving, surfing, or during any other activities that could submerge the pump for an extended period of time. Your pump should not be worn in hot tubs or Jacuzzis.
However in terms of the t:slim X2 warranty, it says this:
(not in the actual warranty section but in a section about the DOs and DONTs of the pump)
DO NOT open or attempt to repair your pump.
[clip]
If your pump seal is broken, the pump is no longer watertight and the warranty is voided.
In the actual warranty section for the t:slim X2, nothing is mentioned about an exclusion due to water. Additionally, I called the Tandem customer support and asked them very specifically if the pump would be covered due to water damage even if the pump was exposed to water deeper for 3 feet and/or greater then 30 minutes (ignoring the obvious fact that they almost certainly would never have that information). The response was the pump is covered for any water damage. (Assuming the user did not void the warranty by cracking the pump open and breaking the seal.)
We go kayaking where significant splashing is a basic fact of the activity. It is always possible for the kayak to flip and cause items to be submerged. It is also possible for items to fall out and drop to the bottom of the lake. I actually discussed this with Tandem Customer Support as this is a reality of our activities. They said everything is covered as long as we retrieve the pump so as to be able to send it in. The one item they said they would not cover is if it goes overboard and is not able to be retrieved from the bottom of the lake. Which I considered pretty reasonable.
(I could always mark the spot with a GPS and then later pay some dude with scuba gear $100 to swim down and retrieve the pump. Never hurts to have a backup plan. lol)
I would rather have a pump only certified to 3 feet of water which is completely covered for all water damage as opposed to a pump which is certified to 12 feet of water but which has no coverage for water damage.
Bottom line, I take no special precautions for our Tandem around water.
At one time Medtronic sold these from their website.
But I don’t think they make them anymore.
That was a great breakdown. I just got done reading it again, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. On the 670G support groups, people are all a-chatter talking about whether or not their pumps are waterproof. They’re posting pictures of them in the lake or going down the water slide. Personally, I won’t put mine in water. Last summer I called them to make sure it was okay to go in, and similar to their warranty, the gentlemen explained it was waterproof, but it was not recommended for it to get wet. When I called again a couple months ago, after seeing all those pics of all those happy, fully submerged pump wearers, I got a different answer. I was told as long as there were no cracks in the pump, it’s all good. Again, I just don’t. And after reading your response, I’m feeling pretty comfortable that it’s a good instinct.
That’s the other fun thing about Medtronic. Call three times on the same issue, get three different answers. That’s fun. Keeps you on your toes.
That is unbelievable…and not okay. But again, it seems to fit in with the loose definition of “waterproof” for the Minimed pumps, which seems to have little to do with whether or not they can come into contact with water.
Sounds like you have the most “waterproof” pump of the lot. On that being an improvement, I stand corrected.
Since I started this thread which claims to be “everything Minimed 670G”, I figured I would include some information I received recently from a Medtronic trainer regarding exercising in auto mode. The document actually comes from somewhere deep within secret vaults of Medtronic… so I hear.
As I explain to my Facebook group, I post these things in order to share the information with people who are looking, but I do not necessarily believe or subscribe to all these documents contain. As people will have a wide variety of experiences with auto mode, I believe this information will be helpful to some, and for the rest of… us… onward.
And now, from the horse’s mouth:
*”Exercise Tips
We have learned many SmartGuard™ Auto Mode lessons along the way, particularly in relation to recommended exercise protocols. We must always keep in mind that every patient is unique, and every different type of activity can affect their glucose differently. So, each patient will still n****eed to adjust according to what works best for them, but here is a place for them to start and some considerations:
• The use of the Temp Target, that is, temporarily increasing the auto basal target to 150 mg/dL for up to 12 hours, is suggested for exercise. The general recommendation is to start the Temp Target 1-2 hours before exercise begins and set the duration so that it stops (or returns to the normal auto basal target of 120 mg/dL) 1-2 hours after the exercise has concluded.
• The Temp Target may need to be extended if exercise was extensive, possibly into the overnight period. In addition, patients may need to consume carbs during aerobic activity that is long or intense.
If the patient is using the Temp Target as discussed and lows are still occurring, you should re-assess if the patient has been consuming uncovered carbs prior to exercise, which may have been their usual habit. Unlike with standard insulin pump therapy, uncovered carbs before exercise may increase the auto basal due to the resulting glycemic rise and therefore contribute to lows.
You also may need to advise your patient to consider suspending for at least part of the exercise time to prevent lows.”