Diabetic test strips have made it possible for people with diabetes to manage their health on their own.
The current diabetes test strips that are used are based off the detection of what is called blood analyte levels. A patent was applied for in 1994 and approved in 1996. The inventor of these strips is listed as Kevin J. Phillips.
Originally, it was difficult for individuals to self-test because of the level of equipment that was necessary to locate the analytes within human blood.
When diabetes test strips were first used, the strips would change color due to a chemical reaction between the chemicals in the blood and the chemicals on the strip. The color would indicate the glucose level within the blood. The scale was written on a chart and it involved simply matching the color on the strip to the color on the chart. A great idea–but a little time consuming! And folks might have trouble accurately matching the color of the chart to the color of the test strips.
As technology advanced, however, this test became based on a digital read out rather than basing it on the ability of the individual to match the colors making it more accurate. It is now much easier for individuals to check their own blood sugar.
The basics of the diabetes test strips have not changed over the years. They are the same as they were originally, chemically treated paper that is designed to react to chemicals in the blood. The meters that are used in home use to read the color and present a number representation.
The chemicals on the paper include enzymes, coenzymes, mediators and indicators, which are placed on the paper as a dry layer. This is why the strip reacts to the presence of glucose in the blood sample provided. It also helps to convert that sample into a readable signal for the meters.
Diabetes test strips have made it possible for individuals to be able to test their own blood sugar on a regular basis. The diabetes test strips patented in 1996 have brought a wealth of benefit to the medical community. As technology advanced, the use of these strips advanced and while they are still primarily the same as they were when they were originally created. They are a chemically treated paper coated with enzymes and mediators, indicators and coenzymes that reacts to the glucose in the blood in order to provide you with an electronic reading that has become accurate enough to give a reading from only a single small drop of blood.
SOURCE: Ezine Articles and Jimmy Drago–thanks!
