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Omnipod DASH (pump)

Insulet

The prior-generation tubeless patch pump: a small, waterproof Pod worn on the body that holds up to 200 units, controlled by a separate handheld Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM). It has no automation — basal and bolus are set manually (open-loop) — and no integrated CGM. Still widely available via the US pharmacy channel and a common entry point, and the standard hardware for DIY closed-loop systems (Loop, AndroidAPS, iAPS), which it reaches over Bluetooth with no RileyLink.

Available nowRegulator-approvedpumptubelesspatchphone-control

The scorecard

Interoperability70

No built-in CGM or commercial automation, but its Bluetooth Pods are the workhorse hardware for DIY loops (Loop, AndroidAPS, iAPS) with no RileyLink bridge required — a unique open-ecosystem strength.

Reliability66

Mature platform with automated cannula insertion and occlusion detection/hazard alarms; FDA MAUDE analyses cite reservoir/cartridge and infusion-site problems among the leading reported pump adverse-event root causes.

Form factor92

Fully tubeless, waterproof patch Pod (IP28, 25 ft / 7.6 m for 60 min) — the category's defining convenience advantage over tubed pumps; the PDM controller itself is not waterproof.

Phone control28

No official phone bolusing: dosing is done on the dedicated PDM handheld; the Omnipod DISPLAY/VIEW iOS apps are view-only. (DIY loop apps can bolus from a phone, but that is unsupported by Insulet.)

Capacity58

Holds up to 200 units of U-100 insulin with up to 72 h (3-day) wear; the whole single-use Pod is replaced each change, and capacity trails ~300-unit tubed cartridges.

Access & cost70

Widely available through the US pharmacy channel (a common low-friction entry point) and reimbursed in the UK/EU; the ongoing single-use Pod cost is the trade-off for no durable hardware.

The full picture

The Omnipod DASH is Insulet's prior-generation tubeless patch pump. It delivers the same on-body, no-tubing form factor as the newer Omnipod 5, but it is a manual (open-loop) pump: it has no built-in continuous glucose monitor and no automated-delivery algorithm, so the user programs basal rates and calculates boluses themselves.12 It remains widely available and is both a common pharmacy-channel entry point to pump therapy and the standard hardware for do-it-yourself closed-loop systems.34

Form factor: a tubeless patch, controlled by a separate handheld. The system has two parts: a small, waterproof, disposable Pod worn directly on the skin that holds the insulin and delivers it, and a Personal Diabetes Manager (PDM) — a locked-down Android touchscreen handheld that wirelessly controls the Pod over Bluetooth.15 There is no tubing and no infusion line to a separate device. The Pod is waterproof to an IP28 rating (up to 25 feet / ~7.6 m for 60 minutes) so it can be worn in the shower or pool; the PDM handheld is not waterproof.21

Reservoir, wear and the infusion set. Each Pod holds up to 200 units of U-100 insulin and provides up to 72 hours (3 days) of continuous delivery before the whole single-use Pod is replaced.12 When a new Pod is activated it inserts a small flexible cannula automatically at the press of a button, rather than by a hand-pushed manual infusion set — a notable usability advantage, and one reason nurse-led initiation onto the Pod is measurably faster than onto tubed pumps.16

Occlusion detection and reliability. Like all Insulet Pods, the DASH monitors for blockages and sounds a hazard alarm if it detects an occlusion, prompting the user to deactivate and change the Pod.1 Because there is no durable mechanical body, hardware failures present as individual Pod faults. Analyses of the FDA's MAUDE adverse-event database across major pumps (including DASH) found that problems with the pump/Pod reservoir or cartridge, occlusion-of-flow alarms, and infusion-set/site issues were among the most frequently cited root causes of reported events — a reminder that a single failed site can lead to hyperglycemia or, rarely, ketoacidosis.78

Which CGMs, AID algorithms and DIY systems it works with. Out of the box the DASH is a standalone pump — it has no commercial CGM integration and no automated insulin delivery; the only meter pairing is the CONTOUR NEXT ONE blood-glucose meter, which sends finger-stick readings to the PDM's bolus calculator over Bluetooth.12 Its great strength is the DIY community: because DASH Pods talk to a phone directly over Bluetooth, they work with open-source closed-loop apps — Loop, AndroidAPS and iAPS — without a RileyLink or other bridge device (unlike the older Eros Pods).49 These DIY setups are not supported or cleared by Insulet, must be self-built, and are used at the individual's own risk.4

Phone bolusing. Officially, no — all dosing is done on the dedicated PDM handheld. The Omnipod DISPLAY and VIEW iOS apps let the user and caregivers view PDM data on a smartphone, but they do not deliver insulin; full smartphone bolusing only arrived with the later Omnipod 5.210 (DIY loop apps do bolus from the phone, but that is an unsupported community use.)4

Access and cost by region. In the US the DASH is uniquely available through the pharmacy channel as well as durable-medical-equipment suppliers, making it a low-friction entry point; it is also reimbursed across the UK and EU, where real-world NHS data on 276 users showed an HbA1c fall of 0.3% overall (0.4% in those new to pumps) and 98.6% reporting a positive quality-of-life impact.311 Without insurance coverage, the ongoing single-use-Pod cost — rather than expensive durable hardware — is the main expense.3

What's coming. The DASH is a legacy product being superseded by the automated Omnipod 5, which adds an on-Pod algorithm, integrated Dexcom/Libre CGM and official smartphone control; the two are distinct hardware.10 Insulet continues to ship DASH and has broadened its labeled insulins (for example adding Lyumjev U-100 via later FDA submissions), and it is likely to remain on the market as the affordable manual-pump and DIY-loop option even as automated systems take over.124

References

  1. Ly TT, Layne JE, Huyett LM, Nazzaro D, O'Connor JB. Novel Bluetooth-Enabled Tubeless Insulin Pump: Innovating Pump Therapy for Patients in the Digital Age. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology (2018); 13(1):20–26 (holds up to 200 U U-100; PDM handheld controls Pod over Bluetooth; IP28 waterproof housing; automated cannula insertion; CONTOUR NEXT ONE pairing). According to PubMed. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6313290/ (DOI) ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  2. Insulet (Omnipod). Omnipod DASH product overview and FDA 510(k) clearance (FDA 510(k) cleared June 4, 2018; Pod holds up to 200 U U-100, up to 72 h continuous delivery; Pod waterproof IPX8/IP28 to 25 ft for 60 min; PDM not waterproof; CONTOUR NEXT ONE pairing; DISPLAY/VIEW iOS view-only apps). https://investors.insulet.com/news/news-details/2018/Insulets-Omnipod-DASH-Insulin-Management-System-Receives-FDA-510k-Clearance/default.aspx ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  3. SingleCare. Omnipod DASH prices and cost (available via the pharmacy channel; high out-of-pocket cost without insurance). https://www.singlecare.com/prescription/omnipod-dash ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. LoopKit. Omnipod FAQs — LoopDocs (DASH Pods communicate with the phone via Bluetooth and do not require a RileyLink-compatible device, unlike Eros; users must self-build the app; use is not supported by Insulet). https://loopkit.github.io/loopdocs/faqs/omnipod-faqs/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  5. Pillalamarri SS, Huyett LM, Abdel-Malek A. Novel Bluetooth-Enabled Tubeless Insulin Pump: A User Experience Design Approach for a Connected Digital Diabetes Management Platform. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology (2018); 12(6):1132–1142 (PDM is a Bluetooth-enabled, locked-down Android touchscreen handheld controller). According to PubMed. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6232743/ (DOI) ↩

  6. Gordon CA, Graf M, Hopley CD, Jennings PJ, Littlewood M. Time to Initiation of Omnipod DASH vs. Tubed Insulin Pump Therapy: A Time-and-Motion Study. Diabetes Therapy (2025); 16(4):629–644 (tubeless Pod initiation averaged 13 min faster than tubed pumps; n=276). According to PubMed. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11925830/ (DOI) ↩

  7. Estock JL, Codario RA, Keddem S, Zupa MF, Rodriguez KL, DiNardo MM. Insulin Pump-Associated Adverse Events: A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Clinical Consequences and Potential Root Causes. Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics (2023); 25(5):343–355 (MAUDE analysis incl. Omnipod DASH; reservoir/cartridge, obstruction-of-flow alarms and infusion-set/site issues among leading cited root causes). According to PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36724310/ (DOI) ↩

  8. Orbell SL, Codario RA, Zupa MF, Estock JL. Severe Insulin Pump-Related Adverse Events: Potential Root Causes and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology (2024); 19(6):1614–1623 (severe events across pumps incl. Omnipod DASH; reservoir/cartridge and infusion-set problems prominent). According to PubMed. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11571623/ (DOI) ↩

  9. AndroidAPS. Omnipod DASH — AndroidAPS documentation (DASH connects directly via Bluetooth with no BLE link/bridge device — no RileyLink, OrangeLink or EmaLink needed; Bluetooth connects only to send a command). https://androidaps.readthedocs.io/en/latest/CompatiblePumps/OmnipodDASH.html ↩

  10. Tucker ME (Healthline/DiabetesMine). Omnipod DASH vs. Omnipod 5: A Comparison of Diabetes Tech (DASH is manual/open-loop with no integrated CGM and no smartphone bolusing — controlled by the PDM; Omnipod 5 adds the on-Pod automated algorithm, Dexcom/Libre integration and smartphone control; distinct hardware). https://www.healthline.com/diabetesmine/omnipod-loop-diy-initial-review ↩ ↩2

  11. Liarakos AL, Hasan N, Crabtree TSJ, et al. Real-world outcomes of Omnipod DASH system use in people with type 1 diabetes: Evidence from the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists (ABCD) study. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice (2024); 209:111597 (n=276 across 11 UK centres; HbA1c −0.3% overall, −0.4% new-to-pump; 98.6% reported positive quality-of-life impact). According to PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38417535/ (DOI) ↩

  12. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Searchable 510(k) database — Insulet Omnipod / Omnipod DASH Insulin Management System (e.g., K192659; K211575 added Lyumjev U-100 to labeling). https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/510k-clearances/search-releasable-510k-database ↩

What's next for this

  • →Being superseded by the automated Omnipod 5; DASH continues to ship as the affordable manual-pump and DIY-loop option
  • →Broadened labeled insulins (e.g. Lyumjev U-100 added via later FDA submissions)