In order for people with type II diabetes to accurately gauge how much glucose (sugar) is in their bodies, they must test regularly. This procedure involves lancing a finger with a small needle to produce a pinprick of blood. The blood then is placed on a test strip and inserted into a small computer called a blood sugar monitor, which then calculates the glucose level.
FreeStyle Freedom Lite
The FreeStyle Freedom Lite blood glucose monitor, sold by Abbott Diabetes Care, is small and designed to fit in your hand comfortably. It also has a large LCD display to make it easy to read. Abbott also makes a range of other monitors including FreeStyle Freedom Meter, the FreeStyle Flash Meter and others. The company also makes two types of test strips, one for its regular meters and one for the Lite series. The Lite series also features a memory that can save 400 readings and can test in five seconds.
Contour Meter
The Contour Meter from Bayer Diabetes Care also has a five-second test time. It features a large display and provides other information than just the glucose readout. For example, it has markers for tests performed before and after meals, and it has a timer to remind you to take a reading after meals. It also summarizes glucose readings for a seven-day period. It also allows your doctor to upload readings from as many as 480 tests to a computer to provide a bigger picture of your glucose levels over a period of time.
Glucocard 01
The Glucocard 01 requires less blood to test than some other meters. Some meters require 10 microliters, 1 microliter or .06 microliters to calculate blood sugar. The Glucocard 01 requires 0.3 microliters, meaning you may get a reading quicker---without re-lancing---than with other monitors. It, however, does have a slightly longer test time---seven seconds---and it only records 360 tests.
Nova Max
The Nova Max monitor has a five-second test time and only requires .03 microliters of blood to test. For people with Type I diabetes, it also connects to the company's Paradigm Insulin Pump to calculate the insulin amount needed. It stores 400 tests.
