#covermyg6 - a slim cover for the dexcom G6 cgm sensor

thingiverse

# The Neat And Slim G6 Cover <br> # \#covermyg6 <br> #### The Issue Apparently many of the G6 users keep having trouble with the sensor and its original patch which sticks only poorly to their skin or gets easily loose through activities or sports. Even if not, it‘s going to get loose at some point - especially if you are trying to wear the sensor for more than 10 days. Also, I have always been worried the sensor might get caught somewhere (e.g. clothing) or it might just detach from the original patch somehow. #### The Cover In order to minimize those issues I‘ve developed a neat and slim cover for the G6 sensor. It not just protects the sensor/transmitter itself, but especially **covers the original patch** and pushes it tight to the skin. An additional tape/patch (printable template provided) is used to fix the cover to the skin, but **without sticking to the original patch**. That way the additional patch can be **replaced at anytime**, if it starts to fall off as well - without stressing/affecting/further detaching the original patch! The cover is thin, light and sits tight around the sensor. It is re-usable, reversible and easy to print. _Features_ - protects sensor and holds it in place - covers original patch and holds it on the skin - not sticking to original patch and thus replaceable - thin, light and tight #### Versions After a whole bunch of iterations and test prints I‘d like to release two first versions - one for printing with the default material **PLA** and the other one for printing with **flexible TPU**. Both versions have their own advantages and are described below. #### Printing Setup Both versions are designed for a **layer height of 0.12 mm** and a **nozzle diameter of 0.4 mm**. The layer height is crucial especially for the wings of the PLA version. The TPU version might also be printable with a slightly thicker layer height. The cover is 0.8 mm (PLA version) / 1.2 mm (TPU version) thick, so the 0.4 mm nozzle would fit just well. It is also designed for easy printing **without any supports**. #### Work-In-Progress Gaining further experiences with the cover myself (and loving to receive other peoples experiences) I most likely will further tweak the designs and release updates in the future. #### Log - 2019-03-27 **PAPER patch template** - added a PDF for (2D) printing the patch templates for PLA/TPU v1.0 #### Last But Not Least If printing with PLA, use thermo PLA which changes its color when attached to the body. Or maybe glow-in-the-dark PLA! :) (just suggestions of course) <br> --- <br> #### NO PRINTER ? I made this design available to everyone in order to print their own covers for free. If you would like a cover, but don't have access to any 3D printer, feel free to **get a printed version** directly from my recently opened [**covermyg6** etsy shop](https://www.etsy.com/de/shop/covermyg6). <br> --- <br> # PLA Version The first version is a **rigid cover** and designed for printing with PLA filament, mainly because it‘s the default and easy-to-use printing material and I kind of liked the idea of **a hard and especially thin shell**. The wings of the PLA version are made as thin as possible in order to offer **some grade of flexibility**, but thick enough so they won‘t break too easily. On the other hand, its properties will probably also depend on the actual PLA. I have just been able to test the one I own. At the front end (the wider end) of the cover there is an edge which slides under the edge of the sensor. At the inside of the other end there is a little hook which then **clips into the sensor** / the same hole of the sensor as the transmitter part does (see sketch for instructions). Thus the cover sits firmly around the sensor an won‘t be able to slip off and the sensor wouldn‘t be able to be pushed below the cover. In my experiences this cover **works very good**. The shape fits really well and its very thin wall (0.8 mm) doesn‘t add much volume to the „package“. It safely covers the original patch and its shape reduces the risk of getting caught behind the sensor. Depending on where you are wearing the sensor you will **slightly notice the wings** of the cover since they are not perfectly flexible. But the tips of the wings are the thinnest and most flexible parts, so it won‘t hurt and it is totally OK to wear it. It might be difficult though to place it in small/curved areas (like around a small arm). If you are bending the wings repeatedly (activities/sports) they do will break and fall off at some point. By printing a lot of prototypes and wearing them I tried to find a balance between too weak and too stiff. The current version works great for me. - 2019-03-19 **PLA version 1.0** - my first release-ready version - 2019-03-19 **PLA version XL 1.0** - longer wings (more flexible? - not yet tested) <br> --- <br> # TPU Version The second version is designed for printing with the **flexible** TPU filament. The cover itself is slightly thicker than the PLA version in order to gain some stiffness around the sensor. The inside surface is curved and the void is slightly smaller in order to bend firmly around the sensor. It has the same edge at the front end which slides underneath the edge of the sensor. The wings are thicker in order to be stronger. Since TPU is a flexible material it will still be flexible enough. I just started to make my experiences with that version, but the great deal about that version is the flexibility of the material and thus its **wearing comfort**! You won‘t feel the cover at all. **The wings are perfectly flexible and follow any movement of your body/skin**. Since the part around the sensor (although thicker) is still flexible (would also depend on the actual TPU), the sensor might still be able to slightly move inside the cover. I am not yet sure what that would mean for „extreme“ situations, but so far it also does its protection job really, really good. But I guess I will release a slightly tighter version at some point soon. - 2019-03-19 **TPU version 1.0** - my first release-ready version <br> --- <br> # PATCH Template I have also created a corresponding patch template **for cutting a proper patch from tape**. Although almost identical I created a separate version for each cover. The outside dimensions of the patches are 100 x 74 mm (dimensioned for a 100 mm wide tape). The hole is minimal (barely) smaller for the PLA cover. - 2019-03-19 **PATCH for PLA version 1.0** - my first release-ready version - 2019-03-19 **PATCH for TPU version 1.0** - my first release-ready version <br> <br>