Instruments

"All that very intensively continues to bloom under the name of Science (especially Natural Sciences) is no science at all but mere curiosity"

Sören Kierkegaard

Devices for monitoring urine

Home self-administered monitoring of glycosuria.

The dosage of glycosuria facilitated sporadic self-monitoring of diabetes with Fehling, Benedict and Nylander reagents, requiring modest lab equipment.

The Bottini Diabetimter

An example of equipmment for home-based monitoring of glycosuria.

The Ames Clinitest

In 1947 Benedict reagents were put into a tablet which, on reaction with diluted urine, changed colour that varied from blue to green to orange according to how much glucose was present: the Ames Clinitest.

Ketostix

In 1956 the reactive strips for research and semiquantitive dosage of blood glucose came onto the market. The same principle was used to create strips to search for ketone bodies.

Clini-tek

Device for reading the Multistix reactive strip and the identification in urine of 10 parameters: glucose, protrein, pH, blood, ketone bodies, bilirubin, urobilinogen, nitrates, specific weight and leucocytes

Zeiss Polarimeter (’70s)

For the dosage of glycosuria.

Glycemia measurement devices

ERKA colour-meter

For measuring glycemia after taking the place of the Crecelius colour-meter (late 1800s), being simpler and faster.

Dextrostix reactive strips

From 1964 to 1967 these were widely adopted for measuring glycemia in capillary blood. Dextrostix by Ames.

Glucose Reflectance Meter

A portable device with a re-chargeable battery for the measurement of Glycemia. It used Dextrostix reactive strips. Designed with a needle capable of showing the intensity of ‘blue light’ reflected by a Dextrostix strip. The data produced by the device revealed the level of glucose in the blood. The tool was supplied with a rechargeable battery.

Reflomat

A German made which, although very precise, was not easy to use.

Glucocheck

1977: Glucochek Medistron: with portable battery

Ames Dextrometer

Ames device from 1978 for measuring glycemia after the Reflectance Meter

Rapidgluco

1979: “Rapidgluco”, simplified electric reflectance meter using Dextrostix strips and self-regulating; designed at the Karen Bruni Boecher Center: low cost and simple to use, it included an original finger-pricking device. (Pungigluco).

Reflolux - Boehringer Mannheim

Reflolux - Boehringer Mannheim Portable Glucometer using a battery. It required Haemoglucotest reactive strips

Reflolux II

An evolution of the previous gluco-meter

One Touch Lifescan 1988

The glucose reactive strip did not need to be wiped.

Glucometer M

It worked using batteries and Dextrostix strips and allowed to record relevant events of the day (meals, physical exercise, hyper-glycemia, etc)

Camit EL

Glucometer with multiple functions. It was able to memorise the time and dose of each insulin administration, together with any particular event during the day. The data were then downloaded onto a computer and elaborated.