by Ed Bryant
Citizens of Great Britain and the European Union now have a "home-grown" talking blood glucose monitor to help them manage their diabetes. Diabetes UK estimates 400,000 people in the United Kingdom are dealing with both diabetes and significant visual impairment, so they could benefit from this device.
This new meter, the SensoCard Plus, from England's CDX Ltd., is a tiny, one-piece unit, much smaller than any other talking meter available today. Simple and pocketable, it features, along with the voice, a large screen display, and test strip coding by means of a "code card" rather than visual cues. One large, easy-to-find button controls the unit. The meter's memory holds 150 tests, along with time and date, and it provides 7-, 14-, and 28-day averages. Results are downloadable to your PC.
The strip uses capillary action. Insert the flat end into the meter; that turns the machine on. Lance, and bring the tip of the protruding test strip against the drop of blood. You can touch the strip. In five seconds, you should have your result.
The price of the SensoCard (in England) is quite low, for a talking monitor; less than $300. Test strip cost is competitive; about $44 per container of 50 strips. And, the machine has passed the UK's tough testing and licensing hurdles. As of June 1, meter and strips were covered under the British National Health Service. The British government is satisfied this new meter works, accurately and consistently.
At this time, CDX is negotiating with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about bringing the SensoCard Plus into the United States. As the meter incorporates no revolutionary new technologies, and as the assembling factory (located in Hungary) has built meters before, no issues are anticipated.
When will the SensoCard Plus be available for purchase in the USA? What will it cost? The first answer is in the hands of the FDA. The second question will only be answerable once there is a US distributor for the product. How much will the distributor add to the UK price, to bring the meter into the United States? We don't know yet.
I am in close contact with officers of CDX Ltd. They will be shipping me a meter for evaluation. Here's what I know; I'll have more to report, shortly, and Voice of the Diabetic will keep you posted, or you may contact CDX yourself: Cunningham Diagnostics Limited, Stanfield Business Centre, Sunderland, SR2 8BL, England; telephone: 01144-191564-2036; fax: 01144-191564-2037; email: [email protected]; website: www.cdx.uk.com