Insulin is measured in “units” where 100 units of insulin is equivalent to 1 ml. In other words, one unit is 10 µl.
The insulin pump usually feeds insulin to the body in two formats. They are known as a bolus dose and a basal dose.
A bolus dose is one that is pumped to cover food eaten or to correct a high blood glucose level. The amount of insulin fed to the body would be high at this dose.
A basal dose is one that is pumped continuously at an adjustable basal rate to deliver insulin needed between meals and at night.
shown below indicates the profile of insulin units pumped into the body during bolus dosage and basal dosage during a 24-hour window.
Figure 2: Insulin dosage concentration vs. time
Click on image to enlarge
The duration of bolus dosage shown here is just an example. The duration of bolus and basal doses varies from person to person and should be given as per the physician’s recommendations. This means the insulin pump user must have the ability to modify the profile of the rapid-acting insulin by shaping the bolus accordingly. Users can experiment with different bolus shapes to determine which is best for any given food so that they can improve control of blood sugar by adapting the bolus shape to their needs.