New Abbott meter eliminates routine finger pricks

Abbott has released a new glucose monitoring system which eliminates the need for routine finger pricks.

FreeStyle® Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System uses revolutionary new glucose sensing technology.

The system reads glucose levels through a sensor that can be worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days. In addition, no finger prick calibration is needed—a key differentiator from current continuous glucose monitoring systems. The system will be available in seven countries across Europe in the coming weeks.

The FreeStyle Libre System consists of a small, round sensor – approximately the size of a two Euro coin – worn on the back of the upper arm, which measures glucose every minute in interstitial fluid through a small (5mm long, 0.4mm wide) filament inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad.

A reader is scanned over the sensor to get a glucose result painlessly in less than one second. Scanning can take place while the sensor is under clothing, making testing more discreet and convenient. Each scan displays a real-time glucose result, a historical trend and the direction the glucose is heading. The reader holds up to 90 days of data, providing a historical snapshot of glucose levels over time.

The FreeStyle Libre System software enables the data to be presented in a user-friendly, visual chart for both healthcare professionals and patients, driving a more productive discussion around treatment and any necessary modification.

Robert Ford, senior vice president, Diabetes Care, Abbott, said: “The FreeStyle Libre System fulfills a major need for people living with diabetes. Our customers told us that the pain, inconvenience and indiscretion of finger pricking were the key reasons they weren’t managing their diabetes as well as they should.

“Addressing these concerns has guided the development of FreeStyle Libre – a transformational product designed to not only remove the pain of finger pricking but also seamlessly integrate into their daily lives.”

Key features of Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre System include:

• The system requires no finger prick calibration
• Disposable, water-resistant sensor can be worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days
• Glucose readings can be taken as many times per day as needed or desired, with a painless one second scan
• Each scan provides a current glucose reading, 8-hour history and the direction glucose is heading

The data generated by the system is designed to provide actionable trends and patterns that may help people determine how to modify food and other behaviors to better manage their diabetes in consultation with their healthcare professionals

Cliff Bailey, Professor of Clinical Science and Director of Biomedical Sciences Research at Aston University in Birmingham, said: “For decades, people with diabetes have had to prick their fingers routinely to check their glucose levels. The pain and inconvenience of finger pricks has contributed to less frequent testing and suboptimal diabetes management. 

The pain and inconvenience of finger pricks has contributed to less frequent testing and suboptimal diabetes management

“By eliminating the need for routine finger pricks, the FreeStyle Libre System will significantly advance the field of glucose monitoring. It offers a convenient and painless way to get more frequent glucose readings, which should help to improve diabetes management.”

The majority of people with diabetes are not at their target glucose levels often because the data generated by their glucose meters do not provide a clear historical picture of where their glucose or how their actions impact their glucose levels. The FreeStyle Libre System provides users and their physicians with the Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP), a report providing a visual snapshot of a person′s typical day by utilizing dense glucose data revealing hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic trends to facilitate better patient therapy and education.

The data are presented in a single, user-friendly, visual chart providing health care professionals the vantage point to link glucose trends to clinical decision-making, enabling a more productive discussion between health care provider and patient. For more information, go to www.AbbottNextFrontier.com.

This product has so far only been licensed for adults.

For more information about the product, visit https://www.freestylelibre.co.uk.