How do blood glucose meters work?

Rabdos

Well-Known Member
Messages
396
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Can anyone explain to me please how do blood glucose meters work?

How is the glucose absorbed to the sensor?
How is the glucose converted into electronic signal?
How is the glucose calculated per volume of blood?
 

Mr_Pot

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,573
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
You will find typing "How do blood glucose meters work" in Google will give lots of information.
 
  • Like
Reactions: azure

SockFiddler

Well-Known Member
Messages
623
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
You know, generally I don't like "Go ask Google" answers but, in this case, I sorta have to agree with @Mr_Pot : we're all just folks with diabetes here, none of us build, design, maintain or manufacture our meters. Google is a far better source of technical stuff than us...

... and this is the moment when someone who does build, design etc glucometers posts :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: azure

Mr_Pot

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,573
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
You know, generally I don't like "Go ask Google" answers but, in this case, I sorta have to agree with @Mr_Pot : we're all just folks with diabetes here, none of us build, design, maintain or manufacture our meters. Google is a far better source of technical stuff than us...

... and this is the moment when someone who does build, design etc glucometers posts :D
I also don't usually give "Try Google" answers but I typed it into Google and there were so many references I didn't want to read them all, select the best one (in my opinion) and quote it. Better the OP should see all the information for himself.
 

Fleegle

Well-Known Member
Messages
775
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I haven't built a meter but I did study electronics and they basically work through passing a small electrical current through the blood and measuring resistance I think. It all gets a bit complex because the test strips contain chemicals which transform the blood into something that can be measured.

So a combination of chemical change through the strip then passing an electrical current. I think....
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I haven't built a meter but I did study electronics and they basically work through passing a small electrical current through the blood and measuring resistance I think. It all gets a bit complex because the test strips contain chemicals which transform the blood into something that can be measured.

So a combination of chemical change through the strip then passing an electrical current. I think....

Spoil sport! ;)
 

Fleegle

Well-Known Member
Messages
775
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
D

Deleted member 308541

Guest
Hence why the strips need to be carefully kept. All kinds of things can send them off a bit - moisture in the air as an example.
Most people keep the strips in the container till they need, not laying loose on the table etc. :)
 

Fleegle

Well-Known Member
Messages
775
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Most people keep the strips in the container till they need, not laying loose on the table etc. :)

Yes - it says to do that on the pack. But each time you open the lid - it gets contaminated - which is why I guess you only have so many days before the strips need to be used. At the moment, because I use a Libre and do not test that often, I use the ones in tinfoil. Bit expensive but I am so clumsy I have tipped a whole pot of SD code free out and had to throw them away....
 
D

Deleted member 308541

Guest
Yes - it says to do that on the pack. But each time you open the lid - it gets contaminated - which is why I guess you only have so many days before the strips need to be used.
I go through a tub of fifty strips a week, so no worries there.

I am so clumsy I have tipped a whole pot of SD code free out and had to throw them away....
I have lost the lot on opening the pot over the table, but they went back in as they were not exposed to any moisture.
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
The ones in foil are awful. Getting them out of the foil I must contaminate them, and sometimes bend them. I threw mine away. I just use the accuchek cassettes now. No handling.
 

ladybird64

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,731
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Dishonesty, selfishness and lack of empathy.
Can anyone explain to me please how do blood glucose meters work?

How is the glucose absorbed to the sensor?
How is the glucose converted into electronic signal?
How is the glucose calculated per volume of blood?

I'm quite happy to suggest Google!
If you can ask a ton of non diabetes related questions here (then rubbish the answers as you normally do), you can ask Google instead!
It is your friend after all:D
 

Fleegle

Well-Known Member
Messages
775
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
The ones in foil are awful. Getting them out of the foil I must contaminate them, and sometimes bend them. I threw mine away. I just use the accuchek cassettes now. No handling.
I am not sure which ones you use, I use the abbott ones. They have a triangle strip on the side - you tear down, really easy and it reveals the circuit end keeping the business end still in tin foil. You insert into the meter and pull the tin foil off and you have a perfect - contamination free - strip that has had no chance at all of having any contamination.
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I am not sure which ones you use, I use the abbott ones. They have a triangle strip on the side - you tear down, really easy and it reveals the circuit end keeping the business end still in tin foil. You insert into the meter and pull the tin foil off and you have a perfect - contamination free - strip that has had no chance at all of having any contamination.

I was clearly doing it wrongly!
 
D

Deleted member 308541

Guest
I decant my Abbot Freedon Lite strips into a Accu-Chek Performa strip pot, as I cannot get my fingers into the Abbot strip pot to get a single strip out. They also come out the right way to stick in the meter. :D
 

nomoredonuts

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,848
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Current American Presidents.
Now I know how hard those little strips work, maybe I won't swear at them quite so much when I c*ck up a test!