BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITORS By Matt Colletti What is

BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITORS By: Matt Colletti

What is a blood glucose monitor? • It is a device that measures the level of glucose in a blood sample • Useful for diabetics who need to check their blood sugar

History • 1960’s- Anton Clemons developed the first instrument to measure blood glucose • 1970 - First available blood glucose model called Ames Reflectance Meter • 1974 - First reagent test strip monitor • 1980 - First meter with a digital display • 1980’s- Meters became less complicated to use • 1990’s- Meters became more compact • 2000 -Present: Meters have become more compact and faster at reading results.

Test Strip Blood Glucose Monitor • Consists of a test strip, lancet, and a reader • Uses an enzyme to remove the free electrons from the glucose • Requires very little blood

Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor • It had a sensor embedded in the tissue and a receiver • Records glucose levels every 10 seconds • Worn for three to four days • Used to find trends in glucose levels

Limitations • Cost: can cost up to $1800 a year for test strips and up to a hundred dollars for a meter • Can be inaccurate due to cleanliness of the hands, test strips and meter • Too little blood and improper calibration can also affect results

Future • Lower cost for testing supplies • Improved accuracy of the meters • Less blood needed for testing • More continuous monitoring

Works Cited • Web. MD: Diabetes and Continuous Glucose Monitoring • • <http: //diabetes. webmd. com/continuous-glucose-monitoring>. Electrochemical Blood Glucose test Strips for People with Diabetes <http: //electrochem. cwru. edu/encycl/art-g 01 -glucose. htm>. Wikipedia: Diabetes Mellitus <http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Diabetes>. American Diabetes Association: Blood Glucose Meters <http: //www. diabetes. org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/bloodglucose-control/blood-glucose-meters. html>. Medtronic: Continuous Glucose Monitoring <http: //www. medtronicdiabetes. com/treatmentoptions/continuousglucose monitoringto>. Timesulin <http: //timesulin. com/blog/about-timesulin/design-diabetes-topreasons-products-fail-patient/>. Biritish Journal of Biomedical Science: A history of blood glucose meters and their role in self-monitoring of diabetes mellitus <http: //www. bjbsonline. org/pdf/pp 83 -93%20 BJBS 69(2). pdf>. Science Photo Library: <http: //www. sciencephoto. com/media/284288/enlarge>.