LIBRE Sensor specifications - Nationally defined?

[bluk]

I live in Canada where the Libre only recently became available.I like the product, although still puzzled about sensor compared with blood test result differences of 4 BG (within seconds using the same device). Anyhow it is better for my purposes than the Freestyle Insulinx, as a very hard to control Type 1 with a 43 year history.

Now the QUESTION. I live ( and am insured!) in Canada, but reside for 3 months per year in Europe , mostly in Spain). Abbott tells me that the Canadian sensors are different than the sensors I can buy anywhere else (!?) due to Canadian Government regulations.STRANGE, some one else, here write about the International Standards, which makes sense, so why would Canadian purchased sensors be different than the sensors available in Spain? Hence with the limited shelf life, I have an issue. Should I really buy multiple readers to be used with the sensors of the various countries in which I spend extended time periods? How else would I make sure that I have as accurate as possible LIBRE sensor readings, when traveling internationally and using LIBRE for both sensor readings and blood tests?

I would VERY much appreciate input from experienced LIBRE users.

All the best from cold and white Toronto

BLUK

 

[urbanracer]

I live in Canada where the Libre only recently became available.I like the product, although still puzzled about sensor compared with blood test result differences of 4 BG (within seconds using the same device). Anyhow it is better for my purposes than the Freestyle Insulinx, as a very hard to control Type 1 with a 43 year history.

Now the QUESTION. I live ( and am insured!) in Canada, but reside for 3 months per year in Europe , mostly in Spain). Abbott tells me that the Canadian sensors are different than the sensors I can buy anywhere else (!?) due to Canadian Government regulations.STRANGE, some one else, here write about the International Standards, which makes sense, so why would Canadian purchased sensors be different than the sensors available in Spain? Hence with the limited shelf life, I have an issue. Should I really buy multiple readers to be used with the sensors of the various countries in which I spend extended time periods? How else would I make sure that I have as accurate as possible LIBRE sensor readings, when traveling internationally and using LIBRE for both sensor readings and blood tests?

I would VERY much appreciate input from experienced LIBRE users.

All the best from cold and white Toronto

BLUK

Hi @bluk ,

I know that the principal unit of blood glucose measurement in the US is mg/dl, are you using the same scale in Canada?

In the UK, (and I think across the EU region) we are using mmol/l so there is a difference in the scales being used.

This might explain why the sensors are different but I'm not 100% certain. Maybe some other posters will stop by and either confirm or correct this.

 

[bluk]

Hi @bluk ,

I know that the principal unit of blood glucose measurement in the US is mg/dl, are you using the same scale in Canada?

In the UK, (and I think across the EU region) we are using mmol/l so there is a difference in the scales being used.

This might explain why the sensors are different but I'm not 100% certain. Maybe some other posters will stop by and either confirm or correct this.

Funny, I never think about the units, been using the same metrocs wherever I lived in the World after being diagonosed in The Netherlands and moving westwards in three year steps to California, Asia and the UK, before settling more permanently in Canada. I think in all those locations I used mmol/L. So that should not be the reason Abbott advises that the sensors are different per country. As a sceptical former banker/ investor, I think it may actually not be truthful and rather an attempt to control prices in different national markets. BUT I may well be wrong, that has happened before.... and hence I hope someone can reply who has tried this out and used the same reader across national borders with locally supplied sensors.

I look forward to more replies.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

I've used a reader from Spain with sensors from Germany. It worked fine, except for the reader speaking Spanish.

 

[urbanracer]

Funny, I never think about the units, been using the same metrocs wherever I lived in the World after being diagonosed in The Netherlands and moving westwards in three year steps to California, Asia and the UK, before settling more permanently in Canada. I think in all those locations I used mmol/L. So that should not be the reason Abbott advises that the sensors are different per country. As a sceptical former banker/ investor, I think it may actually not be truthful and rather an attempt to control prices in different national markets. BUT I may well be wrong, that has happened before.... and hence I hope someone can reply who has tried this out and used the same reader across national borders with locally supplied sensors.

I look forward to more replies.

Thinking about this some more.

I work for a company that makes medical equipment and the Canadian machines are unique. This is solely down to labelling and a requirement for Canadian French equivalent warnings on every part of the machine.

Across the EU they generally accept warning labels and user manuals in the English language although they MUST be available in the local language if they are asked for.

We supply to hospitals where highly trained staff are usually speaking English as a second language to at least a basic level. This of course is different to supplying glucose meters to what is essentially a domestic market but the IEC regulations governing Medical Electrical Equipment and the requirements for CE marking are essentially the same.

Although Canada accepts IEC regulatory standards for build quality and safety, they do not accept the CE mark as a guarantee of meeting those standards so it may come down to something as simple as an approval label and the equipment meeting the Canadian import requirements.

 

[bluk]

Thinking about this some more.

I work for a company that makes medical equipment and the Canadian machines are unique. This is solely down to labelling and a requirement for Canadian French equivalent warnings on every part of the machine.

Across the EU they generally accept warning labels and user manuals in the English language although they MUST be available in the local language if they are asked for.

We supply to hospitals where highly trained staff are usually speaking English as a second language to at least a basic level. This of course is different to supplying glucose meters to what is essentially a domestic market but the IEC regulations governing Medical Electrical Equipment and the requirements for CE marking are essentially the same.

Although Canada accepts IEC regulatory standards for build quality and safety, they do not accept the CE mark as a guarantee of meeting those standards so it may come down to something as simple as an approval label and the equipment meeting the Canadian import requirements.

REPLY TO URBANRACER

That actually makes a lot of sense. Strange as it sounds since the dual language requirements are another wasteful Canadian habit. Neither French nor English is my native language, but I once worked for a Canadian company where I posted a job for a senior management position, where an ability to communicate with the financial world in Canada and abroad was a key job requirement. HR told me I had to post the job both in English and French ! LOL. So you may well be right. the "Canadian requirement for the product may well be the packaging being in two languages. I think I will travel to Spain with a nominal number of sensors and purchase additional supplies locally, hopefully no need to buy a local reader.