One Touch Ultra Blood Glucose Testing Monitor

The One Touch Ultra is the latest in a string of similar products from the boffins at Lifescan, part of Johnson & Johnson.

Like most diabetics, I'm supposed to test my blood sugar upwards of 4 times a day. This is going to be even more important that usual in the coming months, as I'm switching from MDI (multiple daily injections) regime over to an insulin pump at the end of June. The change makes it essential that I test my blood ...
...meter for its lifetime. One battery is enough to perform around 1000 test results, or around a year's worth of tests assuming 3 tests a day. When there's only enough battery left to conduct around 50 tests, a battery warning symbol will appear on the display panel when you turn the meter on. Replacing the battery (so long as it's done fairly quickly) does not wipe the test results and averages stored in the memory.

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The One Touch Ultra is the latest in a string of similar products from the boffins at Lifescan, part of Johnson & Johnson.

Like most diabetics, I'm supposed to test my blood sugar upwards of 4 times a day. This is going to be even more important that usual in the coming months, as I'm switching from MDI (multiple daily injections) regime over to an insulin pump at the end of June. The change makes it essential that I test my blood sugars rigorously for as long as I use the pump - which I hope will be forever, or at least until a cure is found.

Again, like most diabetics, I don't always do what I'm told. Up until a few weeks ago I'd been using the Lifescan PocketScan meter to test my blood sugars. I was lucky enough to be given a new meter by the nurse at my recent diabetes review at my local GP surgery.

Since I began using blood glucose meters a number of years ago, the total time that testing takes has reduced dramatically, from over a minute (hardly any quicker than measuring by eye) to just 5 seconds in this latest product. My previous meter, the Lifescan PocketScan, took 15 seconds and it always seemed like simply *ages* when I was waiting to get on with something else - injecting, excercising, driving, you name it.

With the OneTouch Ultra, the time difference is really noticeable, even though it's only 10 seconds less than previously. By the time I've put away the finger pricker and pack of test strips the result of the test is being displayed, I can remove the used test strip and get on with whatever I was doing.

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The meter
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I've only ever seen this meter in navy blue (as the picture above shows), so I assume that it's only available in that colour. Fine, but it makes it hard for me to spot in my little navy blue "medical stuff" bag that goes everywhere with me! The PocketScan meter I had previously was sky blue, so easier to see, but I'm not that bothered by it.

The meter is small - around 8cm long, 6cm wide and between 1 and 2cm deep and weighs less than 50 grams. It has a large LCD display where test results are shown, and just two buttons on the front below the LCD panel, marked M and C respectively. They are fairly large, with the letters clearly marked in white, so I would think fairly easy to see for most people.

To use the meter for a test, you don't have to turn it on first. Just inserting a test strip into the slot at the top will do that automatically. Once the strip is inserted, first there is a flashing code number (see below), then after a few seconds it will change to a flashing line with a drop of blood just above it. This is the signal that it's ready to receive the blood sample.

After 5 seconds, the result is displayed in a very large font - I'd guess at around a 32 or 36pt equivalent. Again, this makes it very easy to read for most people. However, there's no audible signal for people who are visually impaired - which I think is strange, since diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness in the UK. For me, the lack of audible signal at any point is a bonus, as it makes the whole testing thing nicely discreet if necessary.

If a test result is below 1.1 mmol, the meter won't display a number, it will just say LO. Frankly, I'd be amazed if any diabetic was still functioning at this point, however clearly it's a sign of severe hypoglycaemia that needs treating pronto. Results of 1.1 mmol or above are displayed as a number.

If a result is 13.3 mmol or more, the meter will display "ketones?" above the result, suggesting that you test for ketones and treat if necessary. It does not mean that the meter has itself detected ketones. Above 33.3, it again won't display a number, just HI. This is pretty severe hyperglycaemia, and again should be treated quickly.

The meter also stores test results in its memory, and products not only these results (you can access them by pressing the M for memory button when there's no test strip inserted) but also a 14 day and 30 day average. This is a rough and ready view of your control over the past fortnight or month, but should never replace the HbA1C test that you should have at least annually.

When you access the memory, the 14-day average is the first number that displays. After 3 seconds it changes to the 30-day average, then after a further 3 seconds displays your most recent test result, then (by pressing the C button) allows you to scroll through all the results in its memory, from most to least recent. It also records and displays the date and time of each test, which can be useful if you forget and/or lose your monitoring diary for a few days or something. It will store a maximum of 150 tests, once you have this many stored it just drops the oldest test result and adds the new one.

The meter uses 1 x 3v lithium battery, which is already installed when you buy it (or obtain it via other means!). If you register your meter on the Lifescan website, you can get free batteries for your meter for its lifetime. One battery is enough to perform around 1000 test results, or around a year's worth of tests assuming 3 tests a day. When there's only enough battery left to conduct around 50 tests, a battery warning symbol will appear on the display panel when you turn the meter on. Replacing the battery (so long as it's done fairly quickly) does not wipe the test results and averages stored in the memory.

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Downloading Test Results
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Although it's not something I have ever done, this meter has the facility to download your test results to a PC via the Lifescan Interface cable, which you have to purchase seperately. To do this, you'd also need the Lifescan InTouch software, again available seperately.

To be honest, I don't think that this would provide anything that a decent spreadsheet properly set up could do, but since I haven't actually seen it it's hard to comment!

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The science stuff
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The strips (available on prescription) need just 1 microlitre of blood to produce a valid test result. This is an extremely small amount, trust me on this! On previous test strips, it would not be that infrequent that I'd get an invalid result due to not being able to squeeze out enough of a drop of blook to test with. Since I started using these strips, that hasn't been a problem.

The meter works by measuring the glucose content of a blood sample by means of an electrical current produced in the test strip and sent to the meter for measurement.

The meter can be set to display results in either mmol (millimoles per litre) or mg/Dl (milligrams per decilitre). The former is the standard unit for measurement in the UK as well as other parts of the world, the latter is used primarily in the US.

The meter has a testing temperature range of between 6 and 44*C. It will display an error (LO.t or HI.t) if you attempt to use it outside of these temperature ranges.

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Not just fingertip testing
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When you get the pack, it contains the meter itself, a control solution and some test strips. It will also have a finger pricker and some lancets, as well as a second type of cap for the finger pricker. This second cap, when used, allows a blood sample to be obtained from the forearm rather than the fingertip.

It's great that, finally, there's a choice in where useful blood samples can be obtained from to test. One of the reason I haven't tested as often as I'm meant to in the past is because of the pain it causes in my fingers - who wants to perpetually have sore, cracked fingertips with tiny scabs all over them?! Having said that, I've tried a few times to get to grips with the forearm option, and can only conclude that I've failed miserably!

The method to use when taking blood from the arm is quite different to that normally used, and it involves leaving the cap firmly pressed down over the sampling site for several seconds to ensure that enough blood is obtained. The cap is clear to allow you to see when this is achieved, however I just don't seem to bleed from the arms, so have had to resort to the trusty fingertips again. That's rather a shame, as arm testing is much less painful than fingertip testing, due to the arm having far fewer nerve endings.

As usual, there's the facility to alter how deep the lancet goes when testing, with a small rotating tip on the finger pricker. This gives quite a range of movement, so is suitable for most people, however callussed their fingers.

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The test strips
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Like most other meter testing strips, they are available on prescription in a box containing 2 packs of 25 strips.

Unlike other strips, the blood sample has to be applied to the very top of the strip, and the blood sample is automatically drawn down underneath a plastic covering for the test. This does mean that they are slightly less messy than other strips, however it means you're more likely to get blood all over the back of the test strip - a pain if you don't watch where you're chucking the used strips.

On the side of each pack of test strips, there is a code number. It's important that the code on the strips matches the one shown on the meter when you insert a test strip. This helps calibrate the results of the strip, and you will get inaccurate results if the codes don't match.

Changing the code is easy - with a test strip inserted, a number will flash a couple of times. While it is flashing, begin pressing the C button (C for code, possibly - that's how I remember which button it is) on the bottom right of the meter, and the number will cycle through until you reach the one that you want.

My only quibble with this is that there are around 40-odd number to cycle through, and if like me recently you are on code 2 but need to change to code 1, it takes a few moments.

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More information
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Visit www.lifescan.co.uk

Or speak to your Diabetes Specialist Nurse, if you have one.

Available to buy for around £15 at Superdrug, Boots etc. 

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