Some Geeky Thoughts about Glucometers

[themarquis]

I'm kind of a geek and I love to tinker with tech stuff. So of course now that I'm newly diagnosed T2, I want to mess with my glucometer (er... glucometers -- I have three so far!). So far, I've had a few geeky thoughts about my glucometers -- thought some of you might have some insights (or geeky thoughts of your own to share) :)

1. One of the things I keep wondering about is how I might go about dumping data from them to my computer. Now ... I know there is special software (that costs a fortune in the case of my accu-view :( ) but it seems to me as a geek that there should be a way to directly dump data to a file without their fancy software, no? My accu-view has an IR port which makes me think that without the special $$$ cable, I should be able to interface with my computer with an IR port. But no, they want you to buy a special device that plugs into your computer to receive the IR signal (I don't get it ... why design it with an IR port if you're gonna have to use a cable anyway???)

2. Can I take apart my glucometer? What's inside? Can I modify it?

3. Can I take apart a test strip, wash the interior part where the blood collects, and then reuse it? (I know the answer is supposed to be "no" but why?)

4. Why don't meters come with bluetooth or something so that they can wirelessly transmit data to your computer/phone automatically (i.e. why do I have to connect the darn thing to my computer myself all the time? Why can't I set it up to transmit stuff automatically?)

Go geeks! :D

[owlyn]

I'm kind of a geek and I love to tinker with tech stuff. So of course now that I'm newly diagnosed T2, I want to mess with my glucometer (er... glucometers -- I have three so far!). So far, I've had a few geeky thoughts about my glucometers -- thought some of you might have some insights (or geeky thoughts of your own to share) :)

1. One of the things I keep wondering about is how I might go about dumping data from them to my computer. Now ... I know there is special software (that costs a fortune in the case of my accu-view :( ) but it seems to me as a geek that there should be a way to directly dump data to a file without their fancy software, no? My accu-view has an IR port which makes me think that without the special $$$ cable, I should be able to interface with my computer with an IR port. But no, they want you to buy a special device that plugs into your computer to receive the IR signal (I don't get it ... why design it with an IR port if you're gonna have to use a cable anyway???)

2. Can I take apart my glucometer? What's inside? Can I modify it?

3. Can I take apart a test strip, wash the interior part where the blood collects, and then reuse it? (I know the answer is supposed to be "no" but why?)

4. Why don't meters come with bluetooth or something so that they can wirelessly transmit data to your computer/phone automatically (i.e. why do I have to connect the darn thing to my computer myself all the time? Why can't I set it up to transmit stuff automatically?)

Go geeks! :D

1. How would you access the CPU chip to reprogram it? However, inside a One Touch, for example, is a modem that will accept normal modem commands. There is info around that tells you how to buld a cable and what the proper commands are.
2. No. See #1. No.
3. :hahaha: No. Is this a serious question? Do we really need to explain this?
4. Not worth the cost or battery drain. How often does one need to offload to a computer? I wouldn't pay for it.

[themarquis]

1. How would you access the CPU chip to reprogram it? However, inside a One Touch, for example, is a modem that will accept normal modem commands. There is info around that tells you how to buld a cable and what the proper commands are.

No need to reprogram anything to get a data dump. Basically, the glucometer already stores data in some form (and the special software plus cable transmits this data, translates it, and displays it in some way). But being a geek, the software part seems kind of superflous to me. Though there would definitely be a need for a driver of some kind to interface between the computer and the glucometer so that one could "grab" the raw data. Then I could do what I want with it -- no need for fancy software :) (that's my theory, anyway)

3. :hahaha: No. Is this a serious question? Do we really need to explain this?

It seems like an interesting question to me. What's the science behind the test strips? There's some chemical in them that reacts in the presence of glucose, I suppose. Wouldn't it be cool if one could wash the strips, reapply the chemical, and reuse? Theoretically, of course ;) The darned strips are expensive!

4. Not worth the cost or battery drain. How often does one need to offload to a computer? I wouldn't pay for it.

Well imagine it -- test your glucose as much as you want and then wehenver you want to show your doctor, look at trends, see if your diet or medication is working, etc, just go online and it is magically there on a private web page ... cool! I like the idea, anyway :)

[Amberyl]

1. Since they want to sell you the cable, I'm willing to bet they've made it hard to hack. Otherwise they'd run into third parties selling cheaper cables and whatnot.

2. You could trying buying one and cracking it open to see. :cool:

3. I don't believe so, as there's a chemical process involved, so the reagents on the test strip get used up.

4. The next iteration of the Wavesense Jazz has Bluetooth built in.

[eskimo]

I'm kind of a geek and I love to tinker with tech stuff. So of course now that I'm newly diagnosed T2, I want to mess with my glucometer (er... glucometers -- I have three so far!). So far, I've had a few geeky thoughts about my glucometers -- thought some of you might have some insights (or geeky thoughts of your own to share) :)

1. One of the things I keep wondering about is how I might go about dumping data from them to my computer. Now ... I know there is special software (that costs a fortune in the case of my accu-view :( ) but it seems to me as a geek that there should be a way to directly dump data to a file without their fancy software, no? My accu-view has an IR port which makes me think that without the special $$$ cable, I should be able to interface with my computer with an IR port. But no, they want you to buy a special device that plugs into your computer to receive the IR signal (I don't get it ... why design it with an IR port if you're gonna have to use a cable anyway???)

2. Can I take apart my glucometer? What's inside? Can I modify it?

3. Can I take apart a test strip, wash the interior part where the blood collects, and then reuse it? (I know the answer is supposed to be "no" but why?)

4. Why don't meters come with bluetooth or something so that they can wirelessly transmit data to your computer/phone automatically (i.e. why do I have to connect the darn thing to my computer myself all the time? Why can't I set it up to transmit stuff automatically?)

Go geeks! :D

I use the Breeze2 meter and you can get their software FREE. You may have a small cost for the cable, but I have found the program offers many different ways to look at your readings and what you can do with them. Of course you can go to their website and find a coupon to get the meter free and they also have a program that will offer a discount on the strips. So between my insurance and the discount, I'm currently paying $5 for 100 tests!

[Funnygrl]

2. Can I take apart my glucometer? What's inside? Can I modify it?



I've actually done it with Freestyle strips. I've found they're accurate for 2-3 uses, then there's no way to get them to suck in the blood.

[themarquis]

I've actually done it with Freestyle strips. I've found they're accurate for 2-3 uses, then there's no way to get them to suck in the blood.

Are you talking about the strips? Interesting!!! I'll have to do some more experimenting (evil cackle)

[davef]

I think it was Discovery channel that showed a "how things work" segment on Glucometers last week (in Europe) explaining the electrochemical process behind the strips. I only caught the very end of the program/segment. As I understand it (could be wrong) an electrical current is passed through the test strip, this causes a chemical element to interact with the blood cells, causing the sugar in blood cells to release electrons, the glucometer then "counts" the released electrons.

As for uploading data, on the Bayer Contour, there is a serial interface. I am assuming but have not checked that it uses something like zmodem or at commands to cause the glucometer to transmit data. In Europe the software for Bayer Contours is free for download and in Ireland/UK the data cable is free.

[reefedjib]

1. One of the things I keep wondering about is how I might go about dumping data from them to my computer. Now ... I know there is special software (that costs a fortune in the case of my accu-view :( ) but it seems to me as a geek that there should be a way to directly dump data to a file without their fancy software, no? My accu-view has an IR port which makes me think that without the special $$$ cable, I should be able to interface with my computer with an IR port. But no, they want you to buy a special device that plugs into your computer to receive the IR signal (I don't get it ... why design it with an IR port if you're gonna have to use a cable anyway???)

I agree you must be able to do this. I have a OneTouch UltraSmart. I bought the special cable which is a USB jack at one end and a stereo jack at the other end. $30 or so. If you have bought 3 meters, what's $30 for a cable? $60 for the software? Anyway, I jacked in my meter and turned it on, then went to Device Manager and rescanned hardware. There are 2 generic sounding USB devices on my computer. One may be the meter. I don't know the protocol, though.

Just did a web search and came up bumkiss.

[Jae]

2. Can I take apart my glucometer? What's inside? Can I modify it?


<shaking my head>
and thinking when I assembled my porch swing
3 days later sunburned to a crisp with parts left over I finally did it!
No Wait the parts left over? That is where I modified it!!
:)

[dguy]

themarquis:
1. One of the things I keep wondering about is how I might go about dumping data from them to my computer.

There is actually a thread about this in the diabuddies forum:
http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/diabuddies/12411-onetouch-ultrasmart-communication-via.html#post142461
It is related to the One Touch Ultra though.

Also, there was another thread here, a long time ago, by a guy called DonB who had schematics for the One Touch cable and the protocol description, 3969 (attached??). He sent them to me and I built one, but couldn't get it to work with my OT Ultra2, it was very frustrating, because it looked like it really should work and I tried everything I could think of, but no luck.

Soon after that I was able to get a real cable for free from my Diabetes Educator, and it worked perfectly, so I gave up on the home brew unit after that.

This all relates to the One Touch Meters, and I know you have an Accuview, but I thought you might be interested anyway. . .

regards
Dguy