Libre application?

[phil1966]

Don't worry about putting the applicators into a sharps bin. The only sharp bit of the entire kit is embedded in your arm. It is a tiny flexible filament, like a needle, but not rigid. There is nothing else sharp in the kit, so it can all be disposed of in the normal rubbish. Then when the sensor comes off that can go in the sharps bin. It isn't 'sharp' as such, but it will have some blood and interstial fluid on it, so best disposed of safely.
- just to save filling your sharps bin up too quickly.

(I am a nosey so-and-so, so I had to take everything apart and poke through the bits, when I first started using the Libre )

There is actually a needle in the applicator too (the filament is inside it and the needle punctures your arm and retracts safely inside the applicator afterwards, leaving the filament behind). You can see it if you look at the applicator before you apply it to your arm.
I agree that it's safe to dispose of in the bin as that needle is normally safely tucked away inside the applicator, but I had an applicator disintegrate on me when applying the sensor and had to recover the needle from the floor (it's very sharp!!)

 

[Brunneria]

Wow! How hard did you bang it to make it disintegrate?!? That's impressive!

 

[Energize]

@Energize and @Diakat

FYI - it's entirely possible to start the sensor with just the LibreLink app. There isn't any requirement to have a meter, or to start the new sensor with the meter before the smartphone - although there are benefits.

The beauty of scanning with the reader first (and with a smartphone within an hour) is that you have the luxury of swapping between the smartphone and reader throughout the 2 week period; data does not migrate between the separate devices though. If you scan with LibreLink first then you are stuck with using only your smartphone with that sensor for the 14 days.

Although I use my smartphone 99% of the time when using the Libre FGM; I find the reader is far better to use when exercising. The reader scans the sensor a lot easier (anywhere between 10-40mm) - whereas a smartphone has to be pretty accurately positioned over the sensor in order to give a reading. This can prove a bit difficult when running or cycling for example.

Hope this clears things up for you both

Thanks for clarifying, GrantGam

 

[phil1966]

Wow! How hard did you bang it to make it disintegrate?!? That's impressive!

I just pushed it normally and it all fell apart - I think it was faulty
I got it swapped out without any problems as the filament didn't get into my arm