Product: UltiCare Short Pen Needles and UltiCare Insulin Syringes with sharps container
Manufacturer: UltiMed, Inc.
(651) 291-7909
www.ulti-care.com
What it does: These individually wrapped, single-use needles and syringes are packaged in a plastic receptacle that doubles as a sharps container. The bottom chamber stores and dispenses unused needles or syringes; the top chamber is a receptacle into which used sharps can be safely discarded. UltiCare short pen needles use the company’s 31-gauge, latex-free Ulti-Fine IV design, and fit onto many popular insulin pens. The UltiCare syringes hold up to 50 units of insulin and have Ulti-Fine II 31- gauge needles. Each container holds 100 needles or syringes.
Availability: A downloadable request form is available at www.ulti-care.com/ultiguard_insulinsyringes.html.
Home tests
Product: A1CNow Selfcheck system
Manufacturer: Bayer
(800) 348-8100
www.bayerdiabetes.com
What it does: The A1CNow Selfcheck test allows users to check their own glycosylated hemoglobin, or HbA1c, levels (a measure of average blood glucose control over the past 2–3 months) at home, without a prescription. The test provides results in 5 minutes, without having to mail a blood sample to a lab, as previous home HbA1c tests have required. Each box contains two tests, the yearly recommended minimum number for people who are consistently meeting their blood glucose goals.
Availability: The A1CNow Selfcheck is only available online at www.cvs.com and www.walgreens.com.
Continuous glucose monitors
Product: Seven Plus
Manufacturer: DexCom
(858) 200-0200
www.dexcom.com
What it does: The Seven Plus, like its predecessor the Seven System, is composed of three separate elements — a sensor, a transmitter, and a receiver. The Seven Sensor Pod contains the sensor, a tiny wire (the thinnest on the market) that is inserted just under the skin to measure glucose levels for up to 7 days. The transmitter snaps into the Sensor Pod (which is secured to the abdomen with water-resistant adhesive) and sends readings to the receiver, which must be within 5 feet of the pod.
The receiver’s home screen can display graphs of 1-hour, 3-hour, 6-hour, 12-hour, and 24-hour glucose trends as well as current glucose readings, and can store up to 30 days of information. Readings can also be uploaded to a computer with DexCom Data Manager 3 software, available for free at the DexCom Web site.
