All people, with or without diabetes, need insulin for two reasons - firstly background insulin (basal) for normal functions of the body without food, and secondly a burst of insulin (bolus) when food is eaten. People without diabetes can trust their pancreas to automatically produce the correct amount of insulin required. People with diabetes need to administer insulin as closely as possible to a normal working pancreas.

An insulin pump is a small device designed to continuously deliver insulin to the body (i.e. an electronic pancreas). About the size of a compact cell phone, it is worn comfortably outside the body like you would a phone or MP3 player, i.e. in a pocket, or in a leg or bra pouch underneath clothing or on your belt. The insulin pump delivers insulin through a tiny soft tube - thinner than a strand of spaghetti. At the end of the tube is an even smaller softer short tube called a cannular - which with just one virtually painless needle stick goes under the skin and is ready to connect to the insulin pump. Typically only 10 of these infusion set insertions are required per month. These easy insertions eliminate the 120-180 insulin injections required with the common (intensive) multiple daily injection regimes.

For insulin pump therapy only fast acting insulin is required. No more long-acting insulin in the system dictating when to eat or when you will need more insulin - no rigid schedules. Insulin pump therapy allows you to:-
- Set a basal rate, or background insulin, to be delivered continuously throughout the day and night for normal body functions.
- Deliver a bolus - an insulin amount to be delivered appropriate for the food you have chosen to eat, when you have chosen to eat it.
- Program the pump to reduce the basal rate for exercise so that the blood glucose does not drop too low.