Testing Your Blood Glucose
Learn how to set up your meter and test your blood glucose
Please note that this blood glucose meter will automatically transmit your results, and your app will automatically be updated.
You Will Need:
- Lancet pen device
- Lancets (sterile, single-use needles)
- iGlucose blood glucose meter, adequately charged
- Test strips
- Alcohol or soap and water
- Cotton ball or tissue
Testing Your Blood Glucose
Wash up
Wash your hands with soap and water, and clean your lancet pen with alcohol.
Turn the Meter On
- Press and hold the “Home” button until the meter turns on and the display lights up.
- The meter will display “searching” until it syncs
- The meter will display “Date & Time Synchronized”
- Standby mode begins
- Choose the whole apple (before meal) or apple core (after meal) icon, using the Home button
- Your device is ready for a test strip now
Insert test strip
- To insert the strip into the meter, hold the strip with your thumb and middle finger on the “Hold Bar” (dark part of the strip) facing towards you and the “Sample Port” up.
- Put the strip straight down into the “Sample Port.” You should hear it click into place.
- In 3 seconds, you will see the words “Apply a drop of blood”.
- You have 2 minutes to apply your blood sample.
Pricking your finger for a blood sample
Set your lancet pen for the draw by holding the base and pulling the plunger—this is sometimes called “cocking the pen.”
Check out these tricks to easily get a drop of blood:
- Choose a finger of your non-dominant hand—usually on the side where it’s fleshy—to prick with the lancet pen device.
- Often, the middle finger is a good choice.
- Running your hand under warm water and rubbing your finger helps blood flow.
- Hold your hand below your heart.
- Place the lancet pen firmly against your fingertip and press the button.
- The lancet pen will click, and you’ll feel a quick, small prick.
You’re All Set to Test
- Gently squeeze your fingertip to get a small drop of blood. Wipe away the first blood drop and squeeze toward your fingertip to produce another drop. Touch your blood drop to the edge of the test strip’s “Sample Port" so it fills the port. Avoid touching the strip directly with your fingertip.
- The iGlucose test meter only needs a very small drop to obtain a result.
- When there is enough blood to proceed, the device will count down from 5 to 0.
Results
- Your results will appear in 5 seconds.
- Please note that your meter will automatically transmit your results, and your app will automatically be updated.
- If a “No Service” message appears, it means the meter will store your reading and transmit the results when it has a signal. Note that your app won’t display the new reading until this happens.
Removing the Used Test Strip
- After your device displays your test results, you may remove the test strip
- Hold the right edge, and rotate the strip upwards while pulling up on it
- Discard used strip appropriately
Clean up
Apply pressure to the puncture site with clean gauze or a cotton ball to stem blood flow
- Put your used needle in a sharps container and your used strip in a sealed plastic bag before putting it in the garbage.
- Replace the protective cap on the lancet pen device and store it safely.
- Clean your device with an alcohol wipe.
- Wash your hands and the site with soap and water, or alcohol.
When to Test Blood Glucose at Home
The timing and frequency of blood glucose testing depends on your healthcare team's recommendations. Common testing times include:
- Test your blood glucose first thing in the morning in a fasting state, before you eat or drink anything (except water). About an hour after rising will work.
- If you experience the “dawn phenomenon” and have consistently elevated morning glucose, you can wait two or three hours after rising.
- Test your blood glucose before your mid-day meal or before supper because this is the most accurate result, which can be used to gauge your progress.
- Test your blood glucose after a meal, then again one to three hours after eating. This will assess how the food affected your glucose levels.
Tips for Test Strip Storage and Temperature Ranges
- When you open a new container of strips, write the date you opened it on the bottle label. Discard after 3 months.
- Test strips should be stored between 39 and 86 °F.
- Store strips away from heat.
- Keep them at a relative humidity of 10 to 90 percent.
- Do not store test strips near bleach products, as this will affect their performance.
- Your test strips are sensitive to temperatures that are cooler than 39 degrees or warmer than 86 degrees. If your test strips are exposed to these temperatures, it may affect how accurate they are. If you’re not sure, do a test using your control solution.
- You can perform a control solution test at any time if you’re concerned about test strip stability.
Note: If your meter can’t find a cell phone signal, it will store the reading and transmit it when there is a connection. If your meter consistently fails to connect even when a signal is available, please call the customer support number at the end of the article.
Resources:
iGlucoseEssential Quick Start Guide: https://smartmeterrpm.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/iGlucose-Essential-Device-Quick-Start-Guide-_V1.1_0824.pdf
iGlucoseEssential User’s Manual:
Support Contact:
If you have any questions or issues with your device, please contact Smart Meter directly. Call 1-844-445-8267 Mon-Fri 9am-9pm ET, email support@iglucose.com, or visit https://smartmeterrpm.com/technical-questions/