HemoCue Monitor?

[sticker]

What about this HemoCue Monitor?

HemoCue (http://www.hemocuemonitor.com/eng/)

It promises accuracy approaching equality with the hospital-grade HemoCue Glucose 201 at a reasonable price. Is it just vapor-ware, or is this something that's available right now, today? Has anybody seen one?

It would be nice to have a meter that is accurate, particularly for calibrations of the CGMS. Sure, it uses a ton of blood, takes longer for a reading, costs more and may be a hassle to get (if it's even available), but I have to wonder if accuracy isn't just a little more important and desirable when calibrating the CGMS? At 35 bucks per sensor, up to 2 hour calibration times and the desire to see somewhat accurate readings displayed on the 722, I've been thinking more than ever about meter accuracy.

[someone]

I take it you saw my previous thread? Between the Freestyle and the BD, the BD is the only meter which I can seem to accurately calibrate my Guardian with.

Which meters have you tried? That HemoCue one definately does not look worth 4 microliters per test. It still uses whole blood and not plasma.

[JediSkipdogg]

I personally don't think it's worth the cost. I highly doubt any insurance covers them as they are about $1.25-$1.50 per strip which is even higher than the Ultra. Basically, they are the most expensive strip out there and if you don't happen to produce 4 uL of blood, there's a wasted strip.

I don't think it's worth it unless one is trying to do a test to see how accurate their other BG meter is. But even then, at about $500 for the meter, again, not worth it.

[sticker]

I personally don't think it's worth the cost. I highly doubt any insurance covers them as they are about $1.25-$1.50 per strip which is even higher than the Ultra. Basically, they are the most expensive strip out there and if you don't happen to produce 4 uL of blood, there's a wasted strip.

I don't think it's worth it unless one is trying to do a test to see how accurate their other BG meter is. But even then, at about $500 for the meter, again, not worth it.

I'm not talking about the HemoCue Glucose 201. This is the HemoCue Monitor. Different product. Reported to be about $80 bucks with 'cuvettes' also competitively priced.

Follow this link and check it out.

HemoCue (http://www.hemocuemonitor.com/eng/sida_106.asp)

[sticker]

I take it you saw my previous thread? Between the Freestyle and the BD, the BD is the only meter which I can seem to accurately calibrate my Guardian with.

Which meters have you tried? That HemoCue one definately does not look worth 4 microliters per test. It still uses whole blood and not plasma.

I did see your previous thread. Ripped it right from there. That's when I stumbled on to the HemoCue Monitor. Do not confuse what I'm referring to, to the HemoCue Glucose 201. The HemoCue Monitor is a brand new, end-user product. I want to know if it's for real, or vapor-ware.

Current monitor? BD Logic and ParadigmLink. In 20+ years since diagnosis, I can't count the meters tried. I've got drawers full. If it was produced in the last 20 years, I'll bet I can find an example of it, around here someplace.

[JediSkipdogg]

OK...I looked up the Hemocue Monitor, which is made by the same company. I personally still think 4 uL of blood is alot to ask for. Then waiting 45 seconds is way to long in my eyes. Maybe that's because I do remember the days of 45 seconds and that always took forever and I'm spoiled with 5 seconds now. However, I don't think I'd ever do 4 uL of blood again. That's asking for me to prick my fingers numerous times to make sure I get a sufficient amount to not waste a strip.

[sticker]

OK...I looked up the Hemocue Monitor, which is made by the same company. I personally still think 4 uL of blood is alot to ask for. Then waiting 45 seconds is way to long in my eyes. Maybe that's because I do remember the days of 45 seconds and that always took forever and I'm spoiled with 5 seconds now. However, I don't think I'd ever do 4 uL of blood again. That's asking for me to prick my fingers numerous times to make sure I get a sufficient amount to not waste a strip.

Does it use 4uL? I couldn't actually find that spec, anywhere.

They discuss their "microcuvettes" as if they're different from their "cuvettes" used with the 201. Look over the "Monitor' tab, here.

HemoCue (http://www.hemocuemonitor.com/eng/sida_106.asp)

While it doesn't say how much blood is required, it doesn't look anything like the pipette needed for the 201. I'm not talking about replacing the BD, just having a 'reference' machine to calibrate the CGM. I could live with a 45 second wait time to calibrate the CGM with greater accuracy.

Still, I'm not sure the HemoCue Monitor even exists.

[JediSkipdogg]

Does it use 4uL? I couldn't actually find that spec, anywhere.

If you go to Documentation and then look at the Brochure Basic they have it tells you in there it takes 4 uL.

Still, I'm not sure the HemoCue Monitor even exists.

Supposedly they applied for FDA 510(k) clearance around February of 2006 and it hasn't made it out of that yet. So, I don't think the device is even being produced at this time.

[sticker]

If you go to Documentation and then look at the Brochure Basic they have it tells you in there it takes 4 uL.



Supposedly they applied for FDA 510(k) clearance around February of 2006 and it hasn't made it out of that yet. So, I don't think the device is even being produced at this time.

Ahhh! So it IS vapor-ware.

[JasonJayhawk]

That HemoCue one definately does not look worth 4 microliters per test. It still uses whole blood and not plasma.

Which meters have you tried that take plasma? All of the meters I have ever used at home use whole blood. I just don't have the time to spin down my blood in a centrifuge!

All my meters are calibrated for a "plasma-like" reading, though, by skewing the output result!

All in the name of trying to get lab glucose measurements to match home glucose meters!

[JediSkipdogg]

Which meters have you tried that take plasma? All of the meters I have ever used at home use whole blood. I just don't have the time to spin down my blood in a centrifuge!

All my meters are calibrated for a "plasma-like" reading, though, by skewing the output result!

All in the name of trying to get lab glucose measurements to match home glucose meters!

That is correct. Even the Hemocue "converts" the reading between the two. Currently no home BG meters that I know of read in a plasma result. They simply take the whole blood result and throw it into some formula (which I have written somewhere.) And the ONLY reason they started doing that was because labs have the time and machines to do plasma readings yet comparing plasma to whole blood is pointless without converting.

[sticker]

I'm not afraid to give up 4mL a couple of times per day to get an accurate reading to accurately calibrate the CGM and compare the BD Logic to. It'd be kind-of like the "good ol' days". I'd rather stick 4mL's, than get a reading that's just somewhere in the ballpark. Until this forum, I was blissfully unaware of how poor meters really were.

It looks like the HemoCue Monitor is now available in Sweden, and may someday make it here. But I don't want to wait for someday. I want one, now, just to try. I wonder if I could find it outside of the USA? Does anyone have any ideas? I gotta get me one of these.

[JasonJayhawk]

Are you a nurse or something? The typical person doesn't like to bleed 8 mL of blood every day. :confused:

[sticker]

Are you a nurse or something? The typical person doesn't like to bleed 8 mL of blood every day. :confused:

I'm not a nurse...I'm a cutter. :biggrin:

Seriously, maybe I've grown accustomed to the much smaller quantity needed today and my attitude would change after trying to fill those microcruvettes a couple of times per day. I'm just not really bothered by that, too much. I'm tough. I just want a meter that I can trust.

[Who?]

mL is the abbreviation for milliliter, meter requirements are in microliters. A microliter is one thousanth of a milliliter.

We have to watch abbreviations.

[sticker]

You're right...I need to know how to key-in that little u thingie for micro.

[Who?]

I think if you type uL folks will know what it means, you really don't need the greek letter.