Health, Medicine
Rating of glucometers. How to choose a glucometer? Overview of glucometers
Instruments such as glucometers recently appeared in our lives and greatly simplified the lives of diabetic patients. Coping with them is easy: just apply a drop of blood on the test strip - and the sugar level appears on the display screen. A wide range of glucometers, their parameters and various useful options are capable of stumping a person choosing a device. Help in choosing the device can be rendered by a rating of glucometers. Reviews of people who used the device can confirm the correctness of the choice.
Method of measurement
Electrochemical glucometers are characterized by the use of a newer method based on the measurement of the current intensity that occurs when an analogous reaction of blood glucose and glucose oxidase is performed.
The second method is more convenient, since it uses a drop of blood of a smaller size. The accuracy of the methods is approximately comparable.
Volume of a drop of blood
The size of a drop of blood is an important parameter, especially for children and the elderly. After all, in order to get a drop of blood in 0,3-0,6 μl, the least depth of puncture is required, which is less painful and allows you to quickly heal the skin. Devices, which need the smallest drop of blood for analysis, top the ranking of the best glucometers.
Measurement time
For the latest generation of glucometers, it is characteristic to deliver the result in the shortest possible time - up to 10 seconds. The speed does not affect the accuracy of the result.
The fastest results are in 5 seconds in the Accu-Chek glucose meter Performa Nano and OneTouch Select.
Memory
If you are keeping a sugar control journal, it is important to store the results of the latest measurements in the memory of the device, from time to time downloading data from the memory of the glucometer.
Accu-Chek Performa Nano has the largest volume of 500 measurements.
Marking of food
A number of glucometers are able to mark the results of analyzes before and after a meal with the possibility of separate statistics. This makes it possible to assess sugar on an empty stomach and after eating separately.
This option is available in the OneTouch Select and "Accu-Chek" Performa Nano meters.
Statistics
If the patient does not maintain an electronic self-monitoring diary with the calculation of average indicators, you can use the meter option. More statistical data can be a useful tool for you and your doctor, help you better estimate the degree of compensation for the disease and develop a strategy for taking hypoglycemic medications.
The best statistic allows you to get the Accu-Chek Performa Nano glucometer.
Menu in Russian. The presence of the menu in Russian greatly facilitates the use of the glucometer, making it accessible to every patient
The Russian menu is equipped with the OneTouch Select meter. They are small, they are easy to take with you and check the glucose level where necessary. Thanks to the interface in Russian, the device is extremely simple to use, while it is distinguished by measurement accuracy. Using a portable glucometer, you can keep the ailment under control.
Coding test strips
Any batch of test strips is assigned a unique code. In different glucometers this code is set differently:
- manually;
- With the help of a chip inserted into the glucometer and coming with a bundle of test strips;
- In the automatic mode find out the code of the test strip.
The most convenient are auto-coded glucometers, such as Contour TS.
Packing of test strips
Such a package is used in the glucometers "Satellite Plus" and Optium Xceed.
Test strips to the instrument
The size of the test strips and the degree of their stiffness are important for elderly patients who are difficult to manipulate small objects. It is better for such people that the test strip is larger and denser.
Test strips are included in the kit of the glucometer. In type 1 diabetes, sugar is often measured several times a day. The cost of the device for such patients will consist of the amount of the cost of the meter itself and a set of strips that are needed for a month. Preference for an equal price can be given to devices with a large number of test strips in the package. You can also purchase a device that does not have strips.
Additional functions
- Guarantee of the device. An important characteristic for long-term use.
- Communication with the computer. If you are preparing to use special analytic programs, this option allows you to quickly put all statistics into a computer.
OneTouch Glucometers are equipped with a special cable that serves to communicate with the computer.
- Voice function. The voice glucometer is specially designed for people whose vision is weakened or absent. Glucometer with voice accompanies all the patient's actions in preparing the measurement procedure and voices the result of testing the sugar level.
- Battery type. It is important to choose such a glucometer, the food for which can be purchased in the region of residence of the owner of the device.
Classic AAA batteries are used in Bionime Rightest GM300 glucometers.
- Accuracy of the device. A very important parameter. Not all glucometers are very accurate. The quality rating will help you choose the device that gives the most accurate readings.
If we talk about age preferences, the elderly people are closer to the simplest glucometers with a large screen.
Young people who love activity and mobility, it is important to be able to connect to a computer, a compact device size and the amount of working memory.
ICheck
It is possible to adjust the meter to output measurement results according to Western standards in milligrams per deciliter or millimol per liter, as practiced in the USSR. The measurement time is 9 seconds. It needs 1.2 μl of blood. The memory of the meter stores the result of the last 180 measurements, which are assigned the date and time of the measurement. There is a weekly statistics on the average result of measurements.
When a new tube of the device opens, it is necessary to insert the encoding chip only once, which is sufficient for the new tube.
The meter has the ability to connect to a computer, however, a connecting cable with a serial interface RS-232 is not included in the kit.
Accu-Chek Performa Nano
The device needs a very small amount of blood - 0.6 μl. The screen displays the result in turn in two standards: for a few seconds at a value of mmol / L and mg / dl.
To be able to communicate with a computer, the device has an infrared port. Computer software meter is not completed.
Sensocard Plus
In order to perform the analysis, a drop of blood 0.5 μl is necessary. The time of issue is 5 seconds. You can configure the instrument to measure in mg / dL or mmol / L. The memory of the device is capable of storing the results of the last 500 measurements. You can get average statistics. It is possible to exclude certain results from the calculation of statistics, marking them as incorrect. They are in memory, but do not participate in the calculation of mean values.
There is a code card, which is inserted into a special connector in the side of the meter. If it is lost, the code for test strips consisting of three characters can be entered manually. The device is equipped with an infrared controller, but the software is not completed.
Optium Xceed
Test strips for glucose and ketone bodies are required different and are sold separately from each other.
The device has a small size of 74x53 mm and attractive design in comparison with competitors. The device requires one "hour" battery CR-2032. The battery is enough for one thousand tests. Among the presented in the review of glucometers Optium Xceed The only one has a screen backlight.
In glucose analyzes, it is possible to select a unit of measurement. It can be set in the device settings either mg / dL or mmol / L. The measurement of ketone bodies occurs only in mmol / l.
In order to correctly carry out the analysis of glucose, a drop of blood of 0.6 μl is needed, for a study of ketone bodies a drop is required twice as much - 1.2 μl. According to the size of the drop, the device tops the rating of the glucometers 2013. Accordingly, the analysis time is 5 and 10 seconds for these analyzes. The memory of the glucometer has a volume of 450 measurements of various types. It is possible to obtain averaged indicators. Some results can be excluded from the general statistics by marking as control.
The device can be connected to a computer. The connecting cable can be connected to the test strip connector. However, neither the connecting cable nor the computer programs are included with the meter.
The best glucometers
When the glucometer is selected, it is necessary to start from information on the type of its work. An important role is played by the firm that produces the devices. After analyzing the numerous responses of people with diabetes, you can determine the best suited for your case glucometers. Rating of glucometers for accuracy in recent times on the reviews of diabetics led devices of such manufacturers:
- "Satellite";
- Accutrend;
- "Accu-Chek";
- Optium;
- Ascensia;
- One Touch;
- Biomine;
- Medi Sense.
These same brands top the rating of glucometers in Ukraine.
Features
Glucometers "Satellite" are produced by the Russian company "Elta", specializing in equipment for patients with diabetes mellitus. Devices the company completes all necessary for performance of the analysis. The kit includes 10 disposable test strips, a device used to pierce a finger, a test strip, a user's manual, a cover, warranty documents.
Glucometer "Akku-Chek" is characterized by a photometric analyzer. This model is characterized by the fact that the volume of blood required for analysis is controlled by the glucometer itself. In addition, the Akku-Chek meter features a large memory of up to 500 measurements, which allows you to bring all changes in the sugar level that occur in people with diabetes to the system.
Models line One Touch Horizon and Ultra Smart liked a large number of patients who regularly measure blood sugar. The device quickly produces high-precision results. It is enough for 5 seconds for the glucometer to determine the glucose level. The main drawback of the One Touch glucometers, noted by users in their reviews - is their high cost.
Glucometer Biomine has a lot of advantages. This is a high speed analysis: the information on the screen is displayed after 8 seconds after the blood is applied to the test strip. The device allows you to automatically calculate the average results of measurements for the last week and month. The model has a large screen, on which results of analyzes are widely visible, therefore it is recommended for older people.
A new generation of glucometers is represented by Ascensia, Accutrend, Optium, Medi Sense. They head the rating of the glucometers 2014. When preparing for the device, it is necessary to carefully study the feedback of people who already used it, about its advantages and disadvantages (a kind of rating of glucometers). Of course, when buying, you need to familiarize yourself with the operation of the device by making a test analysis.
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