The DANA Diabecare IIS insulin pump is one of three pumps currently in production by Sooil Corporation. The IIS is the only pump available in the United States. The pump is touted as a good alternative to more expensive pumps as the pump typically retails for 25%-35% less than other competitors.
The question is whether the savings is worth it. Let’s get to the diabetic pump review so you can judge for yourself.
The IIS is manufactured by Sooil Development Corporation. Sooil is located in Korea and has been developing and marketing insulin pumps for approximately 30 years. The IIS is one of the company’s newer pumps.
Sooil is focused only on insulin pump development and actually has several newer pumps available outside of the United States. Over the last 30 years, Sooil has provided over 50,000 pumps to diabetics worldwide.
DANA DIABECARE IIS KEY ADVANTAGES
- MULTIPLE LANGUAGES OPTIONS: Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, Korean, German.
- SMALL AND LIGHT WEIGHT: Smaller and lighter than most other competitors.
- EASY DISPLAY: The setup and operation is icon driven.
- LESS EXPENSIVE: Up to 25%-35% less expensive than other options.
- LOW BASAL RATE: You can go as low as 0.01 U/hr.
DISADVANTAGES
The IIS is not for everyone. There are fewer Basal rate delivery options (24 versus 48) than others. Also, the maximum Basal Range is 16 U/hr. Others can go as high as 30 or 35U/hr. Thus, if you need a lot of insulin, this may not deliver enough for you.
Another possible consideration with SOOIL is that it was somewhat difficult for us to get proper information from the company. During our review, we tried to open the user manuals on the company website, but neither of our browsers were able (IE and Foxfire).
We could down load the brochure, but it was over 25MB (over 5 minutes to download with a fiber optic connection). Once we finally had the download, the pdf would not open without a special Korean plug-in or driver (the company is Korean).
This is despite the fact that the brochure is in English. After contacting the company, the initial response was not to send a brochure, but to quiz us on why we wanted it (we had previously stated that we were evaluating insulin pumps).
We also could not find any reference in the manual or the website for 24/7 support. We called the company at 11:00am EST on a Friday and the receptionist had no idea if they did offer support, but offered to have someone call back when the office opened. They are locate in California and are on PST.
Really? Let’s say I am having a pump emergency at 3:00 in the morning. This is the best they can do?
We may have had a unique experience, but our experience was not positive compared with contact we have had with other pump companies. When buying a significant medical device, it probably should not be this hard to do your due diligence (or get support when you do buy). Our hope is that once you are a customer the experience would be different.
If you are a past or current user of the pump, please share your experience below, especially if it was positive.
INFUSION SETS
The IIS only uses a proprietary Infusion set. There are multiple tubing length options and connection anchoring options.
Bottom Line
The Diabecare IIS pump is a solid option. It has a long history of pump development, almost 30 years, and over 50,000 pumps sold worldwide.
The basal and bolus settings were somewhat different that other pumps, so we strongly caution you to speak with your doctor to make sure this pump fits your needs.
While it may be less expensive than others, if you are not happy with it, four years is a long time to be married to it.
Again, we are hoping that are negative experience with the website and the customer service was unique. Nonetheless, as you go through the sales process, make sure you are comfortable with the people and company you are working with.
Technical Specifications
| Model | Sooil IIs |
|---|---|
| Size | 2.95 x 1.77 x 0.75 |
| Weight (battery/insulin) | 2.3 oz. |
| Battery | 3.6v DC Lithium |
| Infusion Set Connection | Proprietary |
| Reservoir Size | 300u |
| Basil Profiles | 4 |
| Basal Rates | 24 |
| Basal Increments | Unknown* |
| Basal Range | 0.0-16 U/hr |
| Bolus Increment | 0.1 to 10 units. 1.0 to 10-87 units |
| Bolus Delivery | 3 options |
| Memory | Last 12 alarms, Last 50 Boluses, daily totals, primes |
| Meter Compatibility | No |
| Waterproof | Resistant |
| Occlusion Alarm | Yes |
| Over Delivery Alarm | Yes |
| Neat Empty Alarm | Yes |
| Backlit Display | Yes |
| Warranty | 4 Years |
| Software Download | No |
| Colors | 5 |