UltraSmart®

Glucose Monitor

By Gene Siscoe

Sometime in 2003, September or August, I wrote an essay that was critical of the OneTouch UltraSmart Glucose Monitor/Electronic Logbook that is manufactured for Johnson & Johnson and that is marketed by the LifeScan Division of Johnson & Johnson. I was critical

(1) of the rebate policy which excluded the Johnson & Johnson OneTouch Basic Glucose Monitor,
(2) of the thermal issues surrounding both the UltraSmart Glucose Monitor and the OneTouch InDuo test strips, and
(3) of the software that was required to support the UltraSmart device. I concluded that the OneTouch UltraSmart Glucose Monitor/Electronic Logbook and supporting software were not worth the $190 purchase price ($100 monitor, $60 software, and $30 data cable).

Since that essay was written and was published, two events have transpired which require a modification of my original essay:
(1) the rebate policy has changed which reduces the cost of the device to $50 and
(2) the UltraSmart device does have a Hardware Setup Menu which eliminates the need for the supporting software and data cable.

Rebate Policy
Another diabetic who uses David Mendosa's web site was able to obtain a rebate for a OneTouch Basic Glucose Monitor. Johnson & Johnson has expanded the rebate policy to include even the OneTouch Basic Glucose Monitor. But, Johnson & Johnson did not issue checks to the people who purchased the OneTouch UltraSmart before the rebate policy was revised.

Supporting Software
My initial research lead me to conclude that the supporting software and that the data cable were both required to configure and to customize the UltraSmart device. It still remains true that the supporting software and data cable provide the only means of removing old glucose tests from the UltraSmart device. The diabetic patient/user may remove any other data that was entered into the UltraSmart device — entry by entry. Mass removal of data still requires the supporting software and the data cable.

If you elect to use the supporting software, you must purchase the data cable.

The supporting software is available in two forms: (1) a free download from the Johnson & Johnson website
and (2) a commercial CD which costs $60.

The free software still requires at least 2 hours to download when one is connected to the web site through a modem rather than through some form of high-speed connection. The File-Transfer-Protocol is not error free. Transfer errors do occur. Most are self-correcting errors. But, transmission stopping (non-correctable) errors also occur. The probability of such an error increases in proportion to the transfer-time. The transfer-time is proportional to the code-volume and inversely proportional to the data-transfer-rate. All the long-winded mathematics simplifies into the statement that you will most likely experience a transfer failure while downloading the free software.

Not every PC-household is connected to the internet through some form of high-speed connection. According to the cable vendors and according to the phone companies, only 75% of the PC-households have high-speed connections. Anyone who is retired or who lives in a rural area is among the 25% who are not able to purchase a high-speed connection. So, if Johnson & Johnson are willing to allow a free download of the supporting software, why must the CD software be purchased for $60?

The present software policy is multiply frustrating when one is under the mistaken impression that the software configuration support is required to program the UltraSmart device critical functions which are:

(1) setting the initial date/time,
(2) altering the date/time (daylight savings time),
(3) selecting oral medication support, and
(4) selecting insulin support.

The present software policy becomes a non-issue when one becomes educated to the fact that the UltraSmart device has a Hardware Setup Menu that is independent of the Software Configuration Menu.

Press the back-key (the left-most key with a curved-arrow) and press the OK-key simultaneously. Hold both keys down until the UltraSmart banner appears on the LCD-screen. The Hardware Setup Menu is now active. You may use the the menu to program the UltraSmart device critical functions. The details of the process are in the UltraSmart Users' Guide on pages 54-57. The Users' Guide may be downloaded from the LifeScan web site. The download is 1.7 MB.

UltraSmart Thermal Issues
The thermal issues discussed in the original essay are still present. One set of thermal issues are inherent in the peroxidase reaction that is used by all glucose monitoring test strips. (The test strip thermal issues apply equally to all glucose monitor vendors.) Another set of thermal issues are inherent in the electronic circuits used to convert the peroxidase reaction into a meter display. (The electronic-thermal issues are present in every monitor in the marketplace that advertises the ultra-small blood sample sizes.) Both the UltraSmart device and the InDuo glucose test strips are as sensitive to heat as insulin.The InDuo glucose test strips have a shelf-life that is nearly as short as an unopened vial of insulin.

The InDuo protective packaging provides only limited protection! If a vial of InDuo test strips are exposed to elevated temperatures greater than 78°F for any length of time, the test strips inside the vial will be corrupted and the test results will be skewed (invalid). Test strips stored incorrectly in a distribution center warehouse may produce skewed results. Test strips that sat in a courier delivery truck on a warm day may produce skewed results. Always test the first strip from a new vial against a known standard such as the control solution provided by Johnson & Johnson or such as the last strip of the old vial.

Electronic Logbook
The UltraSmart device is adequate to record my glucose tests and to record my insulin shots. And, there is even a comfort in knowing that I have an electronic record of the glucose tests that I perform and of the insulin shots that I take while I am on the road. But, the limited comment capability is still a serious impediment to me. I have a full-sized (9.75 x 7.5 inches) bound (machine sewn spine) laboratory notebook that use at home and I have a shirt-pocket-sized (4.5 x 3.25 inches) bound notebook that I carry at all times. Both permit me to enter whatever data that I need to record an event that may be important to my doctor. While I am at home, I transcribe my glucose test results, my insulin shots, and any pertinent notes into my primary diary. When I return home from a trip, I transcribe the tests and the shots from my UltraSmart device and any notes from my shirt-pocket diary into my primary diary.

Conclusions
The OneTouch UltraSmart Glucose Monitor is worth a $50 net purchase price. But, the OneTouch UltraSmart Glucose Monitor/Electronic Logbook, supporting software, and data cable are not worth a $140 net purchase price.

(1) If you are challenged by the TV remote control, buy the OneTouch Ultra.
(2) If you are comfortable with electronic devices and are comfortable with the limitations of a Personal Data Assistant (PDA), you may enjoy the Ultra Smart Glucose Monitor.
(3) You must be comfortable with PC-software and with a PDA in order to maximize the utility of the Ultra Smart Glucose Monitor/Electronic Logbook. (The maximum utility of the UltraSmart device requires the supporting software.)

Last modified: June 4, 2007

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