Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) issued a field safety notice in May, warning users that keypad buttons on its MiniMed 640G insulin pump may become temporarily stuck when the atmospheric pressure around the pump suddenly increases or decreases – like during air travel.
If the keypad buttons are stuck, users may not be able to program a bolus or stop insulin delivery, Medtronic said, but the issue usually resolves itself within 30 minutes.
The company told users that there’s no need to return or replace the pump. If a button is stuck in a pressed position, an alarm is triggered after 3 minutes and insulin delivery stops.
“In the rare situation where this continues for more than 10 minutes, the pump will begin to siren,” the company wrote. “Once the alarm is triggered and insulin is suspended, you will be unable to program a bolus or resume insulin delivery until the alarm is cleared.”
If a user needs to resolve the problem immediately, Medtronic instructed them to remove the battery cap from the pump and then place it back on. The company also cautioned that users should have a fresh AA battery with them in case the pump prompts them to use a new battery.
