- What Exactly Is The Coding For? -

[Delphinus]

I can understand batch numbers, but what is the purpose for coding strips?

Why does your meter have to be told that?

Why aren't all strips just produced without codes, and are all the same, so we don't have to add that one extra step?

I just don't understand the logic of why one bottle would be 25, another 17, or another 12.

Are they different from one another somehow?

[Moonglo]

I've always wondered that too... could someone out there be trying to forge test strips, and this is a good safeguard against the forgery (ie, maybe the meter knows the difference between a real 25 and a fake one)? I don't know, that's my best guess.

[Delphinus]

I've always wondered that too... could someone out there be trying to forge test strips, and this is a good safeguard against the forgery (ie, maybe the meter knows the difference between a real 25 and a fake one)? I don't know, that's my best guess.

I considered that as well.

Then I thought, if anyone had the technology and sophistication to forge strips for testing blood glucose, being able to emulate a genuine approved strip wouldn't be an obstacle I am sure.

It definitely wouldn't be a mom and pop operation, being run by common thieves.

[fgummett]

I had just assumed that it was to calibrate the meter for any manufacturing variation between batches of strips..?

That said I currently use the Contour which does not need coding.

[Delphinus]

I had just assumed that it was to calibrate the meter for any manufacturing variation between batches of strips..?

That said I currently use the Contour which does not need coding.

That makes sense. :D

[fgummett]

Glucose meter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucose_meter)

Coding: Since test strips may vary from batch to batch, some models require the user to enter in a code found on the vial of test strips or on a chip that comes with the test strip. By entering the coding or chip into the glucose meter, the meter will be calibrated to that batch of test strips.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Glucose_meters.jpg/300px-Glucose_meters.jpg :eek:

[JediSkipdogg]

I had just assumed that it was to calibrate the meter for any manufacturing variation between batches of strips..?

That said I currently use the Contour which does not need coding.

That is exactly why. Ever gone to a store to buy two one gallon cans of paint prior to electronic paint matching? While they are very close, there would be a slight difference in the cans. Coding is the same way, to allow for a variation in the manufacturing. They then take a few sample strips out of each batch and use a tightly controlled control solution to find the exact calibration point.

With strips going codingless, it appears they are getting tighter control at manufacturing the strips.

[Gordonm]

I considered that as well.

Then I thought, if anyone had the technology and sophistication to forge strips for testing blood glucose, being able to emulate a genuine approved strip wouldn't be an obstacle I am sure.

It definitely wouldn't be a mom and pop operation, being run by common thieves.


I actually have a good friend who works at bringing these criminals to justice. It is a huge business and he travels the world going after these theives. It is big business and the strip companies lose millions because of the forged strips.

[Moonglo]

Wow... really? I wouldn't know the first thing about how to make a fake test strip... not that I want to know... but man, it's a shame that people with that kind of intelligence are not putting it to a more productive use.

[jtausch]

I read that the codeless meters use the strip to code id, each individual stip as the code in it and the meter reads it when you insert the strip into the meter

[themarquis]

That's what has puzzled me about the whole "coding" thing.

Each strip you stick in a meter has circuitry on it. The strip itself should easily be able to transmit the miniscule bit of data (maybe just a three or four digit number) to the meter that tells it whatever it needs to know about the batch of test strips, manufacturing variance, etc.

Yet weirdly, they put that little bit of data on an additional little chip thingy that you stick into the meter to "code" it. Why not put the data on the strip? Dumb, dumb, dumb!

Yes, I'm a bit of a geek, so these are the sorts of things I sit around thinking about ...

(and if you want to hear more geeky, the strips wouldn't have to have a chip in them or anything complicated/expensive -- you could transmit that data by printing something like a bar code or pattern on the strips in ordinary ink. The meter simply reads the bar code and translates it into meaningful data. Very simple.)

[Russell A.]

Not sure about the coding BUT I have experimented and entered a non matching code, it does not appear to make a difference with the reading.

A scam I tell you just another D scam! Just like re-usable strips, there has got to be a way. :)

Russell

[Scratch]

That's what has puzzled me about the whole "coding" thing.

Each strip you stick in a meter has circuitry on it. The strip itself should easily be able to transmit the miniscule bit of data (maybe just a three or four digit number) to the meter that tells it whatever it needs to know about the batch of test strips, manufacturing variance, etc.

Yet weirdly, they put that little bit of data on an additional little chip thingy that you stick into the meter to "code" it. Why not put the data on the strip? Dumb, dumb, dumb!

Yes, I'm a bit of a geek, so these are the sorts of things I sit around thinking about ...

(and if you want to hear more geeky, the strips wouldn't have to have a chip in them or anything complicated/expensive -- you could transmit that data by printing something like a bar code or pattern on the strips in ordinary ink. The meter simply reads the bar code and translates it into meaningful data. Very simple.)
Perhaps when the strips were originally developed, there was simply no concept or idea of doing that or the productional knowhow hadn't been developed to put the data like that on the strips. Without that, then the easiest seen solution was to make the meter adjustable with a necessity of user input.