Two Libres at the same time? If so, how?.

[LittleGreyCat]

Today's dumb "musing in the shower" question.

To fully benchmark Libre performance in relationship to your own body, one way would be to have multiple devices running at the same time and see if they all give the same reading.
Expensive and complicated, though.

Much simpler concept; when one Libre is a couple of days from running out, start the next one.
This should give some idea if the Libre is consistent from first reading to last and isn't nearly as expensive.

However how would you do this?
That is, activate one before the other has finished.
Read two devices over the same time period?

Using the phone App it doesn't seem to have an option to activate a new Libre until the current one is finished.

I assume if you had a phone and a reader you could use one on each.
Or if you had two phones you could also use one on each.

Which leaves the question of the LibreLink web site.
There seems to be provision for multiple devices in the report, but I have no idea if it will handle two Libre devices at the same time.
If not, that would complicate the strategy of starting a second device a couple of days early.

As a side note, I assume that people who rely on a Libre (as opposed to self funders like myself who are trying to understand stuff) and also subscribe to the view that the Libre should be allowed 24 hours after fitting to settle down, either use the same arm and manage to avoid activating the second Libre early, or alternate arms.

 

[urbanracer]

I think that sensor is coded so that the reader (or app if using a phone) can identify it.

May be corrected by others by my feeling is that you would need to read each sensor with a different device if running simultaneously.

 

[Brunneria]

I think the reader will only read one sensor at a time.

And my own experience of the sensors is that they all vary in accuracy, and they vary throughout the life of the sensor, with the middle 10 days being by far the most accurate.
So, for me, there would be no value whatsoever in comparing the wangy tail off in accuracy for one sensor with the wangy start up inaccuracy in another sensor.
Other people may have a very different experience, of course.

 

[Jaylee]

Hi,

My conclusion is, they work great with a third party app one can calibrate to the BG meter.
You can check & recalibrate if need be for the life of the sensor.
I've technically not had issue waiting for a new sensor to bed in for an hour or two?
Using a Bluetooth bridge, I've found I can also wring another 6 or 8 hours worth on the 14day lifecycle.

 

[Robbity]

Each sensor has a unique serial number which is recorded and checked by the reader, so it knows if you are attempting to scan a new/different one. If you use the little cog symbol on the top RHS of the reader and scroll down to System Status -> System Info it shows the currenly active SN. So as far as I can see, you could presumably use two readers one for each sensor

I've needed to have two sensors generally on the same arm, for around 48 hours before changeover as this has been the time mine have needed to acclimatize, and the sensor "knows" from its SN which the current one is, and if I've accidentally tried scanning the new one , it asks if I want to start it.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

@Robbity Thank you.
Very useful explanation.
I've just rolled over to a new sensor and started using it immediately just to see.

This has been very disappointing because the last sensor was amazingly accurate, and the new sensor, even 2 days in, is consistently reading 2 whole units low.

Same batch - I ordered 6 from Abbott when supplies looked a bit iffy - so there should be no production difficulties, I assume.

This one is slightly nearer the shoulder on my left arm to avoid using the same piece of skin.

I need to learn how to use an App which can be calibrated.

I think I may try starting a second one just before the next change over, just for interest.