Bayer releases blood glucose meter for games consoles

Bayer has unveiled a blood glucose meter aimed specifically at diabetic children that can be used alongside Nintendo computer games consoles.

The unit, entitled DIDGET, is the first and only blood glucose meter for children with diabetes that connects directly to both the Nintendo DS and DS Lite and offers them incentives for maintaining safe blood glucose levels.

By logging on to the Bayer children’s diabetic community online, users can then go on to spend the points they earn and create their own profiles.

John Gregory, a professor in paediatric endocrinology at the Wales School of Medicine at Cardiff University, said: “Because it is designed with children in mind, Bayer’s DIDGET meter can transform a child’s blood glucose testing experience from something they have to do into something they want to do.”

Last week, Bayer researchers working on the novel oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban (Xarelto) were nominated for the Deutscher Zukunftspreis award, which will be given to recipients by the German federal president Horst Kohler on December 2nd 2009.