Abbott launches new blood glucose tester

Abbott Laboratories has announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration for the marketing of a consumer blood-glucose monitoring system.

The FreeStyle Freedom system uses small blood samples (0.3 micro litres) to measure glucose levels and in five seconds can provide a result on its screen for users to read.

“To successfully manage diabetes, patients must monitor their blood-glucose levels frequently,” said Dr Sherwyn L Schwartz, founder and chief executive officer of the Diabetes and Glandular Disease Clinic in San Antonio, Texas.

“In clinical trials, we found FreeStyle Freedom to be very accurate, and the small sample size and rapid test time associated with this new blood glucose meter may make testing less painful and could ultimately encourage those with diabetes to test more often.”

The new system, in addition to using samples smaller than any other blood-glucose monitor currently available on the market, allows users to test on sensitive parts of the body, such as the forearm, thigh and palm.

Abbott has said that the new FreeStyle Freedom system will be available from April this year.

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