Hi All,
This is my 1st blog, so here goes. I am a very curious person I like to know how things work. I was wondering how bs meters work so I googled it. Wow, I thought this is really cool. If I am understanding right it goes like this.
1st there is a fungus, Aspergillus niger, from the fungus we get Glucose oxidase. This chemical is strongly specific for
beta-D-glucose (the type of glucose in blood). Glucose oxidase reacts with the glucose in our blood to form gluconic acid. Now the gluconic acid reacts with ferricyanide to form ferrocyanide. The really cool part for me is the last 2 chemicals, as they are where we get the color Prussian blue. I am sure the artists will like this. OK back to the final step. Ferrocyanide reacts with an electrode. The electrode oxidizes the ferrocyanide which generates a current directly proportional to the glucose concentration and that’s where our numbers come from.
While reading this I bet the reason our meters are + or -20% is time, to get fast readings they can’t be allowing enough time for the reaction to be more complete. I don’t know if anybody else will find this cool as I am kind of a geek.lol
Think about it a fungus and one of the oldest colors (I know about) make our illness so much easier to control and help us survive without problems.
That is pretty interesting. Now the +/- makes much more sense.
VERY WELL DONE KIETH, AND THIS IS BEYONED COOL and the reasons are a follows. If we look at ALL (and that’s a long list) of the things involved with diabetes, the reality is that there are a NUMBER of obstacles in the way regarding a cure. What that means for us is that ALL OF US MUST FIND/SHARE THE BEST WAYS POSSIBLE TO MANAGE THIS BEAST!!!
I have said many times that although the obvious preference is a cure, what we know at this time is that tight control is our greatest asset, and the very best thing to assist in that regard is (I know capital letters again, but it’s important) THE MOST ACCURATE NON INVASIVE GLUCOMETERS POSSIBLE.
The psychological side is always present in ALL things we do, and this will always improve when people see or hear this via a glucometer. Whatever your sugars are some people may not believe you however, our glucometers tell us a great deal about ourselves, and others for that matter. They also tell the manufcatures the same, and they know more about our levels of control than ANYONE because they have so many “profiles” to examine.
At this point and time we are witnessing an improvement with not only peoples levels of control with CGM’s, but the level of awareness regarding the general public when someone’s alarm goes off. This is the foundation of allowing us to keep a better watch on the beast moment by moment, and can show others the truth. We need that truth because sooner or later, it will set us free.
The other great thing to be aware of is that although there are always battles for money, someone will want a piece of that pie by developing an accurate non invasive glucometer. I believe that technology is already here, and it is just a matter of geting it to the marketplace as quickly as possible.
It is clear that the demand for tighter control is growing and we must encourage that. When we know, we can act. I applaud your efforts to understand the science behind something that you NEED to be healthy. Whatever it is in your life if it is important enough, then investigate and question things in the most user friendly way(s) possible. You know like the Army says “Be all that you can BE”!!! Very well done and when it is important enough, don’t always take it at face value.
Love Always
The Anonymous Diabetic.