The first blood glucose meter was made by the Ames company,
and was named the "Ames Reflectance Meter".
It used strips that needed to be washed and wiped after blood application.
We include photographs of this meter and its strips
(below).
The first
blood glucose
meter was called the Ames Reflectance Meter (ARM). It was patented in 1971, and primarily meant for use
in physicians' offices.
This meter used strips made by Ames, called Dextrostix, that needed to have the blood sample gently washed off after a minute, before inserting the strip into the meter.
Dextrostix had been available
since 1965, and were originally designed to match the color change against a color chart (see pictures).
The size of the pad on the strip where blood was applied was approximately 3/8 x 1/4 inch, and it required what was very appropriately described as a "large" drop of blood.
The instructions for using Dextrostix were:
DIRECTIONS: Must be followed exactly.
- Freely apply a large drop of capillary or venous blood sufficient to cover entire reagent area on printed side of strip.
- Wait exactly 60 seconds. (Use sweep second hand or stopwatch for timing.)
- Quickly wash off blood (in 1 or 2 seconds) with a sharp stream of water, using a wash bottle and blot once
gently on a lint-free paper towel.
- Read result within 1 or 2 seconds after washing. Hold the strip close to the Color Chart. Interpolate if necessary.
NOTE: For quantitative measurement of blood glucose, use DEXTROSTIX with specified Ames brand reflectance photometers.
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The ruler is calibrated in inches (1 inch = 2.54 cm)
Click on any photograph to see an enlarged image.
Also see
History of Blood Glucose Meters: Transcripts of the Interviews
once upon a time (photos of other old devices)
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