Replacement for One Touch UltraSmart meter

Type 1 and LADA
1

I have been using an UltraSmart meter, which is a logbook that records insulin, exercise, food, illness, doctor visits, etc., etc., etc. There was a Smart Version of the One Touch II meter that I used before the One Touch Ultra Smart came out.

But the One Touch Ultra Smart was programmed not to work after 2020, so it stopped working on New Years Day 2021.

Is there any replacement? Any meter (or meter plus app) that keeps a logbook of everything?

(I understand LifeScan decided most people found the Smart meters too complicated and decided to stop providing anything except glucose monitoring.)

2

yes - Contour Next One - Most of us have moved on from LifeScan to more accurate meters such as this one.

3

Iā€™ve never found another meter that allows logging directly in the meter like the UltraSmart. The apps like the Contour Next One might be fine for adults, but not for children. My son is Type 1, and five different adults regularly help oversee his care. The UltraSmart makes it easy for everyone to know what insulin he had when. You can keep using the UltraSmart. Just reset the date to a year with the same number of days. We chose 2010. When you look at the logbook, just remember that you have to scroll all the way back to find the current entries.

2 Likes
4

Are you using CGM? I know many parents of kids with T1D like the Sugarmate app, and many options for logging. I donā€™t use it, but others here may have more comments.

2019 review, newer features may exist.

ā€œSugarmate also has the capacity to track food, exercise or insulin with both photo-taking and voice dictation.ā€

5

Iā€™ve been using a regular meter for 30 years now. Havenā€™t tried CGM. (But I did hear a success story about it: a young adult never checked her sugar, ate large meals without taking any insulin, and was careful never to go near an ophthalmologist for a retina scan, and when she got switched to CGM, she now has her sugar levels forced upon her and when her sugar goes too high, she takes insulin and when it gets low, eats something. But I do that by using 6 or 8 tests a day.)

6

My problem is that I have more than 500 entries, and it takes forever to find when and how much insulin I took my previous injection (I can never remember unless itā€™s written somewhere, and nothing Iā€™ve found is as easy as the Smart Lifescan meters. They had a Smart version of the One Touch, the One Touch II, and the One Touch Ultra, but not any of the later meters. I got a 2nd One Touch Ultra Smart and started in 2001 (I didnā€™t care about the days of the week), but the One Touch SAYS you can choose between mg/dl and mmol/L, but you cannot. My old meter is mg/dl, and if I set it to mmol/L, it remains mg/dl. My new meter was for Canada, so it came set for mmol/L. I can use the menu to set it to mg/dl as many times as I like, but it remains mmol/l, and I find it annoying to have to multiply by 18.

7

Itā€™s easy to find these ultra smart meters on eBay, so no reason to use one programmed in the wrong units.

I too used the ultra smart from 2001 until I finally switched to the contour next with Bluetooth when I started using a cgm two years ago. The xdrip app records all the insulin etc. inputs that the ultra smart does, and does all the graphing and summary reporting as well. I really liked the ultra smart, but like xdrip and G6 even more.

8

Lifescan says they might re-introduce the Smart meter if enough of us call them. My book says the numbers were: US 1-800-663-552 CA 1-800-227-8862

Those of us who loved the Smart meters, please call and ask them to start making them again!

9

I was also in that category using Lifescan for decades. I canā€™t promise I would switch back but I sure resent the contour Next One App big time.
I came here to look up Contour Next as I was planning to start a group for people to offer their suggestions for how it could be made better.
Problem with asking Lifescan to make a new Ultrasmart, is that when I buy the strips, I am locked into a certain meter until the strips run out, so that is why I cannot promise I would end up switching back and I was planning to use the Freestyle Libre next year when I get to the senior age when it is covered in Ontario.
But if you think I could add my name to a list for what I considered an excellent meter, I would do that as I liked that so much information and doses taken could be entered into it and the visibility on the screen was excellent.

10

First, there was the One Touch, which had basic, normal, and smart versions. Basic was cheapest, Smart was most expensive, but I got the Smart because I figured the most expensive must be the best.

Then came One Touch II, new strips, basic, normal, and smart versions. Had to buy new meter since old strips discontinued. Wanted new meter anyway.

Then One Touch Ultra, new strips, basic, normal, and smart versions. Had to buy new meter, but I was ready for one.

Then Verio, several versions, Verio, Verio IQ, Verio Flex, Verio Sync, and Verio Reflect, none of them Smart. So I kept using my Ultra Smart. The pharmacies said it was getting harder and harder to find the strips, but I managed.

Then, on 1 Jan 2021, my Ultra Smart said it was not allowed to work after 2020. If I put it on another year, I have to scroll back to see my readings, which takes too long (unless I delete everything, which I donā€™t want to do).

So I got a Verio Reflect, which only works with a Smart Phone (but not in the country where I live now, where the app is blocked for reasons that escape me. Do they think the Reveal app shows young women Revealing their bodies? Probably.).

So I want a Verio Smart, so I donā€™t need the banned App.

And when they change the strips again, I want a Smart version of the new meter.

1 Like
11

Maybe this would work, says app available worldwide.
I have not used it.

12

I typed Dario into my App store and got lots of ā€˜Track your glucoseā€™, but none by Dario.

Where I am, whoever is in charge banned the One Touch app, so itā€™s not in either one of the App stores, and they also seem to have banned the Dario app.

Since I have a One Touch meter, I donā€™t know if any other app talks to my meter, which has been programmed to talk to the One Touch App.

Thereā€™s a USB port on the meter, but when I connect it to my computer, the download programmes canā€™t find my One Touch Verio Reflect meter. The One Touch Reveal desktop programme works here, but has trouble connecting to meters.

And I havenā€™t seen the Dario glucose monitor here.

13

Itā€™s being sold on Amazon. I assume there is a way to get the ap.

14

Just looked. Itā€™s on the apple App Store. What country are you in.
You could always go to another country to upload software then you have it.
You could also send your phone to someone who can download it and send it back.
I know a guy who came to the us from Australia on vacation and while here, upgrade his tslim to control iq. He was successful, however he might have told them he moved here. I know he needed to visit a doctor here to have it approved

15

Yes, Amazon sells the OneTouch UltraSmart meter. No way to know if you are getting mg/dl or mmol/L, but probably the wrong one. And when you get the wrong one, you can pay again and order another one that will probably also be wrong.

The OneTouch UltraSmart meter is programmed not to work after 2020, so, after buying every strip I could find (since they were becoming rare in pharmacies), on 1 Jan 2021, my UltraSmart meter stopped working completely.

Lifescan had the One Touch Basic, Normal and Smart. The Smart was much more expensive, but I figured it must be worth it (and insurance paid for it). Smart tracked blood glucose, meals, insulin, exercise, illness, and other events, so it was also a complete logbook, all in one place, with the glucose readings and everything else that one should record all together.

Then they had the One Touch II (new strips), Basic, Normal, and Smart.

Then they had the One Touch Ultra (new strips, again) Basic, Normal, and Smart.

Then came the Select (new strips) but no Smart.

Then came the Verio (new strips, no Smart).

Next the Verio Flex (same strips, still none of the Smart features).

The most recent is the Verio Reveal (same strips), which has an app that is very difficult to use, and is officially banned where I am (they figure ā€˜Revealā€™ must be about young women). The meter only records blood glucose, nothing else, but it has messages: ā€˜You had a high blood sugar at 3 pm 3 times, what are you doing? Change something!ā€™

If you remember, you can indicate if the glucose is before or after meals, but if you forget, you cannot change the Before Meal/After Meal indicator.).

NET: An Amazon Ultra Smart will not work, unless you have a Time Machine that can go back before 1 Jan 2021.

Other meters do not have any of the features of the Lifespan Smart meters (One Touch, One Touch II, and One Touch Ultra), including all the post-Ultra Lifescan meters.

Lifescan said, if enough people call in, they will make some new, Smart meters, and I would love for people to call in and for Lifescan to start making more Smart meters. Smart Verio would be fine, or Smart Select, or Smart some new meter with new strips. I donā€™t care, I just want the complete logbook built into the meter.

(The Smart meters cost more, but the cost of the meter is insignificant compared with the cost of the strips, and the features really help me manage my blood glucose.)

16

Canā€™t u set the meters clock back to say March 1900 and see if it lets u use it

1 Like
17

Ever since I posted that I want Lifescan to bring back the Smart meter, I have gotten many, many suggestions.
ā€˜Stop using a Smart Lifescan. Contour gives much better glucose readings, and you do not need a meter with a logbook.ā€™
ā€˜Order one from Amazon. Probably not in units you recognise, but you can keep ordering, and eventually, you might find one with your units.ā€™ or
ā€˜Set your meter back to 2000, and it will record your glucose. You wonā€™t be able to find it (because I have to scroll back through 30,000 entries), but itā€™s the recording thatā€™s important, not being able to ever see what it was.ā€™
Finally, Ultra strips discontinued (planned for at least 5 years, but delayed by screaming users until the meters reached the end of their clock the end of 2020, so the Amazon and the ā€˜set back the clock to 2000ā€™ suggestions are useless).

For 20 years, Lifescan made 3 models of each meter: Basic (cheapest, nothing but glucose readings), Normal (had some other features, but not the full logbook), and Smart, with a full logbook for insulin, exercise, meals, illness, & etc. & etc.

Then, after Ultra, they had the Select and the Verio, but no Smart versions, just Basic and Normal (by new names, no longer Basic and Normal, but Verio, Verio Flex, and Verio Reflect, none of which have the Smart features built into the meter, but with ā€˜Smartā€™ apps that donā€™t work where I live and are difficult to use where they are not banned).

I want Lifescan to bring back the Smart meters with the built-in logbook, and they said they might if enough of us who bought the Smart meters before call and ask. The Smart meters were more expensive, but some of us liked them (and many did not, figuring they were much too complicated to use, and too expensive).

But I do NOT need any suggestions about Amazon or resetting the clock (no more strips, so completely useless), and I do NOT want any suggestions that I switch to a new brand that does not have a logbook because I do not need a logbook on my meter.

One suggestion was to go to a complete, fully automated CGM/pump system where I donā€™t need a logbook at all, I never need to see my glucose or how much insulin Iā€™m taking, or exercise or food, the smart app takes care of everything just like a normal personā€™s pancreas (until it doesnā€™t). However, my endocrinologist says he does not recommend that for me, so I am not planning to go that route.

18

I also have no (good) idea what you should do. :man_shrugging:

My speculation is that the reason the Smart meter you describe was discontinued was because the functions it offered as a discrete package are now ā€œeasierā€ to provide as a smart phone app. I use a pump so I have never investigated that. But since the majority of folks still use a glucose meter as the primary tool to manage their diabetes, I expect some form of ā€œtrackingā€ apps have been created. However, I am only guessing and have no idea what they are or how useful they might be.

Since you seem to prefer having some sort of a ā€œless stupidā€ logbook feature you might want to look in that direction, if you havenā€™t already. Using an app on your phone to track diabetes seems to be the direction that the meter manufacturers appear to be taking.

At least I canā€™t think of another reason why meters are moving to using bluetooth to allow uploading their data. As communication protocols go, Bluetooth kinda sucks. But it is the default the device community seems to have settled on, albeit grudgingly. What ya gonna do? :upside_down_face:

19

Suggestions are kinda what this place is about.
When you post an issue, people will post suggestions because, well thatā€™s the point of this place.
Maybe we can get a thread for people who want to vent and not get any input.

20

My complaint is that only one of the suggestions were replies to my question. I asked, 'Is there a replacement for the Lifescan One Touch Ultra Smart?

Answer 1. ā€˜I switched from Lifescan Basic to Contour, because it provides more accurate glucose measurements.ā€™ NOT my question.
Answer 2. ā€˜Use Amazon.ā€™ Problem of wrong units. New answer: ā€˜So keep using Amazon, and maybe youā€™ll get your units eventually.ā€™ Not likely, Amazon has a huge supply of meters, all with wrong units. And problem of no strips.
Answer 3. ā€˜Reset your meter clock to 2010.ā€™ Again, no strips.
Answer 4. ā€˜I agree, and wish Lifescan would bring back the Smart meter.ā€™ (Good answer).
Answers 5 - 30: repeats of 1 - 3.

What I wanted was, ā€˜Yes, we used a Lifescan Smart meter. After Lifescan stopped, we found that Acme makes a Smart meter. Order from Acme, and hereā€™s the website!ā€™

But instead I now get, ā€˜If you didnā€™t want any replies, you should not have asked. Maybe we need a new forum that does not allow replies.ā€™

What I did NOT want were replies that did not answer my question, and especially replies that I was asking the wrong question, that no one should be using a Smart meter.