Test Strips
Diabetes Test Strips
Blood glucose test strips (diabetes test strips) are one of the components used in a blood glucose monitoring system for diabetics. These test strips do not work alone. They must also have a meter that interprets the level of glucose that the test strip measures in the sample of blood the user places on the strip or in the meter. There are two types of testing systems (methodologies) employed in the test strips (reflectance photometry and amperometric glucose biosensor technology). You should recognize that most test strips are specific to a manufacturer’s meter. This means that you, in most cases, can not use different test strips in different meters.
For test strip to work properly many meters must have a code entered into the meter by the user which calibrates the meter to the current test strips being used. This provides a means for the meter to be calibrated to the current bottle of test strips one is using and assures the accuracy of the glucose measurement if the test is performed correctly by the operator. New meters are now available that are called “no code” meters and these do not require the user to enter a code. In these systems the using the strip provides a code for the meter and eliminates the need for the user to enter a code.
Reflectance methods for glucose strips provide a color change that the meter reads and compares to the meters internal components to produce a result. Amperometric biosensors, (no color change) reads the amount of electricity from the chemical reaction on the test strip and provides the glucose result on the meter. The chemistry is complicated!
Every manufacturer encourages their customers to use control material to acquaint you with a new meter. Control materials are available and what they do is all users to perform the test on this material and know what the answer should be before the meter result is available. This means that the meter should be able to measure the control material and provide a result that is within the range of the control material provided by the manufacture and normally printed on a piece of paper in the control box or printed on the side of the control bottle. Control material is a MUST have product because it will allow you to perform quality checks on the meter to make sure it is operating correctly and also tell you if you are performing the test in the proper manner.
Products
Sure Edge glucose test strips are based on the measurement of electrical current generated by the reaction of glucose with the reagent in the test strip. The meter measures and displays the corresponding blood glucose level. The strength of the current produced by the reaction depends on the amount of glucose in the blood sample. This is known as the glucose oxidase method.
• 50 Test strips per box
