Results of several finger stick blood glucose readings taken with your glucose meter at different times each day are entered into the monitor for calibration. After 3 days, the sensor is removed and the information stored in the CGM is downloaded into a computer. You and your diabetes educator can then review your glucose levels in relation to the other data collected and make any necessary adjustments in your diabetes management plan. The information will be presented as graphs or charts that can help reveal patterns of glucose fluctuations.
The main advantage of continuous glucose monitoring is that it can help identify fluctuations and trends that would otherwise go unnoticed with standard A1C tests and finger stick measurements, and allow you to take action to avoid severe highs or lows.
Skip to navigation Personal tools. Search Site. Advanced Search…. Staff Physicians Nurses Media Donate. Info Share:. How do they work? Blood glucose test strips contain a capillary that sucks the blood up into the test strip. It reaches an enzyme electrode where the blood sample is mixed with a glucose oxidase enzyme, and an electrical current is created by the glucose meter. The charge passing through the electrode is proportional to the amount of glucose in the blood sample.
Fingertips are sensitive because of the high concentration of nerves. To avoid the pain, many people draw blood from other areas. Most blood glucose meters were originally designed to be used with capillary blood taken from a finger prick due to the highly accurate results from these blood glucose readings.
Some meters, including all of the meters we carry, have been approved for alternate site testing AST , which is blood drawn from areas other than your fingertips, such as your palm or arm. If you are interested in AST, read your meter directions to find out if it's approved for alternate site testing before attempting to make the change. When you test your blood sugar using any glucometer the result shows you an estimate of the amount of glucose in your blood.
The U. Many factors can affect the accuracy of your blood glucose monitor's results, including temperature, levels of other substances such as ascorbic acid in your blood, traces of other elements on your skin such as food residue , water, heat, the age of your test strips check expiration dates , and many more. When you understand the process, you can see why control solution is important.
Control solution assists you in making sure that the enzymes on the test strips haven't been damaged. The enzyme on test strips is very sensitive to environmental factors, as previously explained. Once test strips are shipped from the factory it is difficult to ensure environmental factors have not affected the enzymes on the test strips. If one is affected, all are in that shipped batch. Use control solution on the first strip you pull from a new container to verify that yours are in good condition.
Need a new glucose meter? Don't overpay. The sensor then works with a transmitter that sits above the skin to send data to a receiver or smart device. The cost of a CGM device will vary by brand, but it is often more expensive than using a blood glucose monitor.
This is because the CGM requires the ongoing replacement of more costly sensors and transmitters. With the aid of a needle, the sensor is inserted under your skin.
Needle-free options — like the long-wear WaveForm CGM — are also available to reduce complications and minimize pain from insertion.
The recommended areas for insertion most commonly include the abdomen or back of the arm, but the CGM manufacturer will provide exact recommendations to where their product should be placed. Is a marketing and design strategist with a focus on building brands, digital content, and thoughtful product design for the healthcare industry. She has a passion for marrying creativity with complex, technical fields and helped launch medical devices through Sanofi, CVS, Target, AgaMatrix, and other consumer brands.
Growing up with a family member who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, Juleen dove into understanding the diabetes industry, advances in technology, and patient perspective for the past 12 years, with the goal of delivering solutions that improve the way people manage their health.
Diabetes , Technology. What is a Biosensor? How Does a Glucose Sensor Work? Examples of commercially available biosensors include: At-home pregnancy tests Blood glucose meters Continuous glucose monitors Cholesterol meters How Does a Glucose Sensor Work?
For a glucose biosensor, the following components are used: Analyte: A substance with chemical constituents that are being identified and measured. In this instance, glucose is the analyte that the biosensor is designed to detect. Bioreceptor: This is a molecule that specifically recognizes the analyte. For the detection of glucose, specific enzymes are used, which are proteins that facilitate a chemical reaction.
For example, the test strip for a blood glucose test contains the enzyme that interacts with the analyte in the drop of blood. Transducer: This part of the biosensor converts one form of energy into another.
Specifically, it converts the recognition of the bioreceptor into a measurable signal. Most modern-day glucose meters and continuous glucose monitors measure electrical signals, although earlier generations of glucose meters used a colorimetric process color change that was measured optically.
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