Diabetes causes blood glucose levels to rise. The disease affected around 23.6 million people in the United States in 2007, the American Diabetes Association reports. Keeping blood glucose levels within a more normal range prevents damage to tissues and organs. People with diabetes check their blood glucose levels frequently using a diabetic meter, also called a glucometer. Glucometers must perform a complex task but still be easy to use at home by people with no medical training. The glucometer consists of several essential parts that must be used as designed for accurate results.
Monitors
The main component of the glucometer, the monitor--a small battery-run plastic device--translates the amount of glucose in a drop of blood into a number displayed on a monitor screen. Many monitors store previous readings or download them to a computer. The least expensive part of the glucose monitoring system, monitors normally cost between $10 and $100, although talking models, designed for people with poor vision, can cost more, Family Practice Notebook reported in 2008. Most monitors work by analyzing color changes when a drop of blood reacts with an enzyme. Monitors have a small slot that holds the monitoring strip.
Lancing Device
The lancing device makes obtaining a blood sample easier for the patient, who may be reluctant to prick himself with a needle. The lancet, a very small needle encased in plastic to decrease accidental punctures, fits into the spring loaded lancing device. The patient holds the lancing device tightly against his finger after loading the needle and cleaning the fingertip with an alcohol wipe to prevent infection. Pressing a button at the end of the lancing device pushes the needle quickly forward into the fingertip, allowing a small drop of blood to be squeezed from the fingertip.
Monitoring Strips
Monitoring strips are the most expensive part of diabetic testing, costing anywhere from $520 to $1,240 per year for a person who tests four times a day, according to Family Practice Notebook. Strips designed for a specific monitor must be used for accurate results. Monitoring strips are impregnated with an enzyme that reacts with blood, usually glucose oxidase or hexokinase. A drop of blood is placed on the end of the monitoring strip after the monitor is turned on and a testing strip is inserted into the monitor. It takes only a few seconds for the monitor to produce a reading after applying the blood.
