Tubed Insulin Pumps and Airport Security: What Medtronic and Tandem Users Need to Know (2026)

I wear an Omnipod 5. At airport security that means I mostly walk through and keep moving, because tubeless pods do not carry the same X-ray restrictions as tubed pumps. But if you wear a Medtronic MiniMed or a Tandem t:slim X2, your screening routine is different, and the difference genuinely matters. Get it wrong and you are either arguing with a TSA officer or risking your pump.

Everything below comes from Tandem's and Medtronic's published travel guidance, plus the TSA's own medical-device screening rules. Every source is linked at the bottom. One honest note: I have not done the disconnect-at-the-checkpoint routine myself, since my daily experience is with a tubeless pump. Where I describe the process I am relaying the manufacturers' instructions, not personal habit.

Why Tubed Pumps Get Different Treatment

The reason comes down to what is inside the pump. Tubed pumps from Medtronic and Tandem use a small direct-current motor to push insulin through the tubing. The manufacturers have long explained that X-ray exposure can interfere with that motor, in the worst case damaging the part of the pump that regulates insulin delivery.

The Omnipod is the exception that proves the rule. It uses a shape-memory alloy wire instead of a motor. Spare pods and the controller can go through baggage X-ray without issue, and for the pod worn on your body Insulet recommends a walk-through metal detector or pat-down rather than the full-body scanner. That is why a tubeless pod and a tubed pump get different answers at the same checkpoint, and why advice written for one does not transfer to the other.

What Tandem Officially Says (t:slim X2)

Tandem publishes a printable travel card for the t:slim X2, and its position is unambiguous:

• Walk-through metal detectors: safe. The pump is designed to withstand common electromagnetic interference and can be worn through them.
• X-ray machines of any kind: not safe. This explicitly includes both luggage X-ray machines and full-body scanners (Tandem notes that newer full-body scanners are a form of X-ray).
• Tandem's recommendation: disconnect at the infusion site and ask the security agent for an alternative screening method.
• If you prefer to stay connected: tell the agent about the pump and request to go through a standard metal detector while wearing it.

For international trips, Tandem suggests asking customer support about a travel loaner pump before you leave: (877) 801-6901.

What Medtronic Officially Says (MiniMed)

Medtronic's airport information card lays out a similar but slightly stricter set of rules:

• Luggage X-ray (carry-on or checked): the pump must not go through.
• Full-body scanner: Medtronic treats it as X-ray. If you choose to go through one, you must remove the pump and disconnect the infusion set at the insertion site. CGM users must also remove the sensor and transmitter before the scan.
• The alternative: request a screening process that does not use X-ray, and you can keep everything on and connected.
• Metal detectors: the pump, infusion set, reservoir, and CGM system can all handle standard airport metal detectors.
• In flight: keep the pump connected to your body and check your glucose levels frequently.

What Actually Happens at the Checkpoint

The TSA's published rules for medical devices line up neatly with the manufacturers' guidance. Before screening begins, tell the officer where your pump is attached. You are not required to remove a device attached to your body. If you disconnect the pump, the disconnected pump may be put through X-ray, but you can refuse that and alternative screening will be provided instead.

In a standard lane, expect the officer to have you do a self pat-down over the pump area, followed by a swab of your hands to test for traces of explosives. It takes an extra minute or two. In a TSA PreCheck lane, the additional screening only happens if you alarm the metal detector or scanner. Otherwise you walk through like everyone else.

Disconnecting at the Checkpoint: The Practical Version

If you follow Tandem's recommended approach, here is how the disconnect works in practice:

1. Before you reach the front of the line, disconnect the tubing at the infusion site. The small cannula stays in your skin; only the tubing detaches.
2. Keep the pump in your hand or a pocket as you go through the metal detector or pat-down. Never place the pump itself in the X-ray tray with your bag and shoes.
3. Reconnect the tubing as soon as you are through, confirm the pump shows it is delivering, and glance at your glucose.

While disconnected you are getting no basal insulin, so reconnect as soon as you are through screening.

What to Say to the TSA Officer

Short, specific, and free of jargon works best. Something like:

"I am wearing an insulin pump. It is a medical device attached to my body. The manufacturer says it cannot go through X-ray, so I need alternative screening, please."

If an officer gestures you toward the body scanner, add: "The body scanner counts as X-ray for this pump. Can I use the metal detector or a pat-down instead?" Officers see pumps regularly, and stating the manufacturer's restriction plainly almost always resolves it.

Packing for Tubed-Pump Travel

For the rest of the trip, pack like a failure is a matter of when, not if:

• Infusion sets: bring at least two or three more than your trip math requires. Sets kink, get ripped out, and fail at the worst moments.
• Reservoirs or cartridges to match, plus your insertion device if you use one.
• Power: the charging cable or spare batteries for your specific pump, plus a way to charge them at your destination.
• Insulin with the usual buffer, a backup glucose meter and strips, and fast-acting glucose.
• For international trips: ask your manufacturer about a travel loaner pump before you leave.
• Everything in your carry-on. Checked luggage gets lost and frozen; your pump supplies should never be in it.