QuickSet versus Mio

By | 26 February, 2016
Mio versus QuickSet - the next Hollywood blockbuster

Mio versus QuickSet – the next Hollywood blockbuster

Throughout the annals of human history there have been many epic battles that have captivated and enthralled the human mind. Sampson versus Goliath; Sparta versus Persia; Blur versus Oasis; Darth Vader versus Captain Kirk; the list goes on.

But these – even the famous battle of Thermopylae which set Leonidas against Xerxes – all pale into mere insignificance when we pit Medtronic’s QuickSet against the Mio infusion set in one final blockbuster battle for supremacy!

I may have mentioned that I’ve just upgraded to Medtronic’s 640G insulin pump, more of which later. In my pack I was sent a bunch of Mios which, as a long-standing user of QuickSets, I thought I would give a go.

I refuse – point blank – to post pictures of my infusion sites on the Internet (this is more for your benefit than mine) and so I’ll have to describe the differences to you through the medium of wooooords.

The reservoirs on both sets are exactly the same, so I won’t waste time talking about those; so the most immediate difference is that while the QuickSet comes with a separate firey-thing (“Quick-serter” is the technical term, I think; this article is littered with terms that I don’t know the correct name for) the Mio’s insertion set is built into the plastic box it comes in.

As a brief intermission here, I think that both sets are wonderful examples of industrial design. Whichever you prefer, they are both elegantly designed to solve the problem of how to attach a tube filled with liquid into your subcutaneous goo in a manner that is easy to use, reliable, hygienic, comfortable and relatively cheap to produce. When you stop and think about them for a moment they are both undeniably brilliant.

Anyway, I think that both ways of firing a bit of metal into you work just as well as each other. The QuickSet’s ‘serter’ is perhaps a little more robust; but the Mio’s built-in firey-thing means you have once less bit of junk to carry around.

Speaking of carrying stuff around, I always carry a spare set in my manbag. I’ve ripped sets out at inopportune moments – at dinner parties; in nightclubs; out foxhunting and so on – and it’s always helpful to have a replacement set. I’ve found that the QuickSet’s relatively flimsy packaging means that after a few months of being bashed about, the QuickSet is a bit knackered. The Mio has a much more robust packaging which will survive the slings and arrows of daily life but, as a downside, is slightly bulkier.

Coming then to the business end of the skin-set interface; the Mio has a slightly smaller ‘disk of sticky’ to attach it yourself. It seems just as robust as the QuickSet and, like me, people with hairy tummies will appreciate slightly less agony when removing an old set. I haven’t yet tested the set under very active, sweaty conditions yet and will report back if I notice any problems.

It might just be me but I think that the Mio’s slightly smaller footprint makes it a touch more comfortable and perhaps a little less noticeable (it’s as discrete as having a cannula sticking out you can be; I suppose).

Disconnecting the tubing is, in my view, improved from the QuickSet. Instead of turning the round ‘tube-ending’ and hearing a click; the Mio has a U-shaped ‘tube-ending’ which pushes straight into the ‘bit that sticks out of you’ with a very positive click. I think it’s much clearer with the Mio that you’re plugged in again and is slightly less fiddly.

In terms of performance, it’s early days yet, but I haven’t seen much difference in how long sets last and infusion in general. Which is as you would expect it, both sets should perform just as well as each other.

Finally, it comes in different colours – blue, pink and clear – if you give a damn about such things.

So there we have it; I have little to complain about either set really – they both work well. As always, your preferences will ;

8 thoughts on “QuickSet versus Mio

    1. Tim Post author

      And there was me thinking that the Star Wars / Star Trek mismatch would be more controversial! [For the avoidance of doubt, I’ve never been foxhunting.]

      Reply
      1. Cecile

        Who would Sampson be? A post-bodybuilding David who uses a donkey jawbone “kettie” that fires samp?

        Reply
  1. Paul

    On the size vs convenience to carry.. The thing which has changed my mind on the mios is their bulk when going away rather than daily.

    TBH. I don’t carry a set with me (if one fails (& with me they don’t seem to frequently) it’s an excuse to leave work early & change it which feels a bit like winning the lottery!)

    ..but for holidays or work trips with the MIO you’re basically carrying a set & a bulky inserter for every 3 days versus sets & a single inserter.

    .. Also Vader would win.

    Reply
    1. Tim Post author

      Do you not keep a stash of sets, etc., at work? I keep a little cache of spares in my desk drawer, which is doubly useful as my office is in the center of town and so I can pop in if I need something on a night out or something.

      Reply
  2. Paul

    Nope.. It’s part of my dangerous Brian personality!

    I’ve just never found it necessary, I’ve had maybe 4 sets fail properly unexpectedly over the years. The bigger problem I have is sets being grumpy starting off so I leave the previous site in as a fallback for half a day till I know is safe to rip it out.

    If it fails unexpectedly I still carry a pen & needles to work with.

    Frankly I don’t like my work colleagues enough to give them the cheap thrill of changing a set in front of them!

    … Han would have Vader’s back in a franchise war & Han shoots first (like a good diabetic!)

    Reply
  3. Elizabeth

    I was recently put back on the pump after a few years. I got tired of doing a minimum of 5 shots a day (2 for my Lantus and 3 for my humalog), of course there could be more shots if my blood sugar was high and needed to correct or had a snack. Blah!

    I now have the newest pump from Medtronic, the 670G and my doctor automatically sent me the Mio infusion sets, which I was unfamiliar with. When I was on the pump before I was using the Quick Sets and was quite happy with them for they were very easy and convienant to use. So my review of this set is very positive.

    The Mio set is a whole different story. It is very cumbersome to use with several steps involved. Plus it’s bad for the environment because you have to throw away more plastic. Anyway, I had a heck of a time figuring the Mio out. The first time I tried I had the help of my pump trainer and she walked me threw it step by step. 3 days later I had the change my infusion set out and it was a pain in the rear to say the least. It took like 20 min from start to finish ( reservoir and infusion set ups). I don’t know about other people but I don’t have time for this. I want something quick and easy.

    So I had this new infusion set in for several hours and then I noticed my blood sugars were running higher, so I corrected and rechecked in an hour or 2. It was higher than the last, so I corrected again and rechecked it in an hour. It only went down maybe 5 points after the 3rd recheck. I figured I was just insulin resistant and thought the insulin would just kick in. NOPE! Now I did have to eat something but ate 95% protein and only a little bit of carbs and bolused a small amount based on what my carbs were and what my pump told me. I checked my bs 60 min later and I was 455 and becoming seriously ketoacidosis. It was then I decided to give a shot to correct thinking it may be the pump or actually the infusion set I had put in earlier in the day. Sure enough when I took off the infusion set it had a kink in the cannula. No wonder why my bs kept going up.

    I don’t know where I went wrong, but maybe the Mio infusion set just isn’t for me. I don’t know. I rarely had issues with the quick set and will probably go back to those. I will follow up with Medtronic tomorrow to see what they have to say.

    Reply

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