English for Specific Purposes

h) Since the insulin pump needs to be worn most of the time, pump users need strategies to participate in activities that may damage the pump, such as rough sports and activities in the water. An episode of diabetic ketoacidosis may occur if the pump user does not receive sufficient fast acting insulin for many hours. This can happen if the pump battery is discharged, if the insulin reservoir runs empty, the tubing becomes loose and insulin leaks rather than being injected, or if the cannula becomes bent or kinked in the body, preventing delivery. Therefore pump users typically monitor their blood sugars more frequently to evaluate the effectiveness of insulin delivery.

i) A single marginal contact among the hundreds often employed can cause the system to crash and often it is next to impossible to find out which contact is responsible. Because greater demands are being placed on complex biomedical equipment even connector-caused problems such as intermittent faults, or lack of reliability can be intolerable but difficult to isolate and repair.

j) The use of rapid-acting insulin for basal needs offers relative freedom from a structured meal and exercise regimen previously needed to control blood sugar with slow-acting insulin. The alternative basal insulins, such as the long lasting insulins injected once a day, often release their insulin at a very unpredictable rate.

k) This is a unique, initially non-conductive block polymer that has the property of becoming conductive when used in the tight confines of a contact, while staying non-conductive between adjacent contacts. The film of stabilant has the viscosity of medium oil and has reasonable lubricating properties making it ideal in slide or rotary switches.