Three new glucose reflectance meters: Diascan, Glucometer II, and Reflolux II

More and more frequently, diabetics use portable blood glucose meters to assess their own glycemic control. New meters are constantly being introduced commercially. We evaluated three recently marketed meter/strip systems in terms of accuracy, precision, and the stability of the colors on the test strips. We compared the results from the meters with those from a Beckman Glucose Analyser and calculated the correlation and regression coefficients (Diascan, r = 0.93, y = 0.64x + 41.76; Glucometer II, r = 0.94, y = 0.86x + 2.32; and Reflolux II, r = 0.99, y = 0.99x + 5.15). Both the Diascan and Glucometer II meters tended to underestimate blood glucose whereas Reflolux II gave unbiased measurements throughout the clinical range. Reflolux II was also the most precise of the three. Furthermore, the Reflolux test strips kept their color over 6 days of storage at 4 degrees C, while strips from the other two systems faded. All three meters are compact, simple to calibrate, and convenient. They remain, however, relatively expensive, as do the test strips.