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 First available blood glucose model called Ames Reflectance Meter First reagent test strip monitor 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 WebMD: Diabetes and Continuous Glucose Monitoring. Electrochemical Blood Glucose test Strips for People with Diabetes. Wikipedia: Diabetes Mellitus. American Diabetes Association: Blood Glucose Meters. Medtronic: Continuous Glucose Monitoring. Timesulin. Biritish Journal of Biomedical Science: A history of blood glucose meters and their role in self-monitoring of diabetes mellitus. Science Photo Library:.