My father (70 years old) has been having trouble with his meter and I am e-mailing you to hopefully get the name of a meter. His problem is trusting the result he is getting from his meter. He is worried about the linearity and calibration of what ever meter he is using. Is there a meter that will calibrate itself prior to or at the same time the sample is being applied and tested?

My father got some information about Medisense making a unit with these abilities.

Blood monitoring equipment has come along ways in the last few years. Early models were difficult to use properly and the results were questionable. Currently, we have many choices and the reliability has greatly improved as has the ease of use. Even with progress, we know that home blood glucose monitoring equipment is, and probably never will be, as accurate as equipment found in a lab. It is estimated that most home blood glucose readings are within 10% of what a lab result would be.

To ensure the best accuracy from any home testing meter, calibration strips and solutions are provided for most machines. These are used by most people for troubleshooting problems rather than on a daily basis. Accuracy of meters today seems to be an even playing field. So many choices in technique, strip and blood sample size and even color of the meter! Choosing a meter that reads in plasma equivalents will state the blood sugar closest to what would be found in a venous/lab sample.

I would encourage your father to use a meter that he finds easy to use, requires a small sample size and no cleaning. This should ensure the most consistency blood test to blood test.

KS
Additional comments from Dr. Quick:

Medisense makes a meter, called the RSG, that has strips that are precalibrated to the meter.

WWQ