Hi! My name is Megan and I work for Companion Medical, which sells InPen®, the only FDA-approved Bluetooth connected smart pen.
InPen combines a health management app with a Bluetooth® enabled pen injector to simplify the constant tracking and calculating required for insulin therapy. InPen tracks active insulin, recommends doses, and reminds users when to take insulin. Data can be downloaded for review.
InPen is now available in the United States. We’re currently accepting no-obligation reservations for InPen at https://www.companionmedical.com/inpen-reservations/?utm_source=fud. By filling out the form on that page, you’ll receive information on how to check your insurance coverage and complete your reservation.
Please let me know if you have any questions or would like more information.
Looks like an interesting system for MDI. Is it possible to also use an additional InPen for the basal injection(s) and have them integrate into the same app as basal?
Also, not using the Android platform is a big mistake. The Android user base dwarfs the iPhone user base.
Looks nice, if you use the system, you get many of the benefits of a pump without the pump.
Question - I like the time of day adjustments for ICR and ISF. Do you have the ability to handle different and non-standard insulin concentrations in the app.
For example if I diluted by insulin half, could the calculator still take this into account?
Hi Megan, thanks for the post and sharing the information. I was wondering about a few things that I didn’t see on your pages.
Does it use the NovoLog and Humalog cartridges that you might use with your current pen, or do you have your own cartridges?
Does it have 1/2 unit doses?
Doc, I asked about that same thing last year and they said that (at the time I spoke with them) it would only track one insulin per phone app instance. I was wanting to do the same thing, be able to track basal and bolus. I think that was something they were going to develop for future releases, but hopefully Megan can give us some more info.
BTW, I am sure Android is on the way. For whatever reason, IOS always gets approved first (see Dexcom!).
We are cleared for use only with U-100 Humalog and NovoLog insulins. Since we are not healthcare providers, we really can’t give any advice on how to use the system with other insulin concentrations. Please ask your healthcare provider how you should handle this.
Specifically I was wondering if the regular Humalog or NovoLog cartridges work, or if it is a proprietary cartridge that fits in the InPen that you would need to get a different prescription for.
(i.e., can I keep my current cartridges and just put them in your pen instead?)
Yes, regular Humalog or NovoLog cartridges work with InPen. It does not require a unique cartridge so you would get your Humalog or NovoLog prescription as usual.
I think it’s because Android operates a little differently on every single phone, whereas iOs is more tightly controlled and so it’s easier to develop just one app that works on all iOS (or most iOS) phones
I like that this thread stayed on the right side of providing useful factual information and awareness without crossing the line into active marketing. I would have a hostile reaction to a company rep or sales rep who went into promotion mode here, because this site is about helping people, not making money.
Megan asked me if it was okay before she ever posted, and I told her it is fine to share info about the product, but to be up-front about working for the company. And I greatly appreciated the fact that she asked me.
Hi Megan,
I have a few more questions about the pen.
When I spoke to Sean last year, I believe the current version of the pen will only do one pen per instance of the phone app. Meaning, you can only have a bolus or basal pen connected, not both. At some point do you anticipate making it so that you can use the app to record both bolus and basal insulins?
Are the batteries in the pen replaceable, or do you need a whole new pen when the battery runs out?
Is the phone app a free service, or subscription?
Do you have reminders on the phone app? I know a lot of people have spoken about forgetting their basal insulin at times. It would be nice if their was an option for reminders on the app.
How do you deal with priming? On my pens, I am always wasting a bit of insulin to prime it. Is there a way for the app to know that primed insulin was not injected?
When I spoke to Sean last year, I believe the current version of the pen will only do one pen per instance of the phone app. Meaning, you can only have a bolus or basal pen connected, not both. At some point do you anticipate making it so that you can use the app to record both bolus and basal insulins? Right now, InPen only works for bolus doses, but we do offer long-acting reminders and the ability to log basal doses. We’re continuing to improve InPen and will be sure to announce any product updates.
Are the batteries in the pen replaceable, or do you need a whole new pen when the battery runs out? The battery lasts for a year, but you would need a new pen when the battery runs out. We offer a one year warranty, which would cover a battery issue should it ever die early.
Is the phone app a free service, or subscription? The phone app is free to download, but some aspects of it will not work until the app is paired with an InPen. There is no subscription required for the app.
Do you have reminders on the phone app? I know a lot of people have spoken about forgetting their basal insulin at times. It would be nice if their was an option for reminders on the app. Yes, the app allows you to set a reminder for long-acting insulin.
How do you deal with priming? On my pens, I am always wasting a bit of insulin to prime it. Is there a way for the app to know that primed insulin was not injected? Yes, the app automatically recognizes prime doses so they are not included in your insulin-on-board total.