BayerContourNextUSB2017
Introduction/Definition/etc
Similar $7.99 from the same store/ pharmacy as
RocheAccuChekAvivaConnect2017
box didn't seem opened, had to get approval,
for price reduction, and like the Metro supplied
change back dollar coins, which I really needed
for other things, but will see, how it all works out...
Body
Not sure the body is here yet,
will see, don't donate it to medical science
quite yet...
Ascensia (tm)
AFAICT, Panasonic Holdings bought out
that part of Bayer into something
like Ascensia (tm), which is an odd
name, to me, maybe like the old
(1970's?) sci fi movie, you get a
different or clear palm crystal sign
and you float up the dome to be
zapped like a bug?
Euthanasia type social structure,
and people not understanding it
wasn't always like that, in human
history...
What was the name of that movie?
I've probably mentioned it online before...
Getting old, and will probably remember
later...
Differently Digestive People
The people who think those that eat sugar
are bugs, and some of the disabled, who's
digestion is like can only eat yogurt
(Temple Grandin?), you take that away,
and people basically starve... Maybe
what I had when I lost 50 lbs originally,
going away from bad meds which probably
contributed to the problem in the first place,
similar to white blood count risks
and other problems like some are known to
cause diabetes, that are probably in the
we saw your old med on the class action
suit TV ads, so what are they trying
to sell us now?
/SurvivorAlert(s)
Unboxing
Small little device, compared to others
that are more egg shaped...
But others might be easier to read,
IDK...
Might be like the older USB stick
media players, but a better colour
display, and instead of a stereo
with mic audio out port
and input port for the test strips,
with a LED domed shape on the
non USB plug end...
Not that different from a swipey
thing for credit card reading, afaict...
Insert credit card to continue,
hasn't changed that much,
cha ching (cash register sound)...
Initial Charging Time
Out of the box, the LiPo? battery
inside is charged to about a half,
which is a shipping, storage type
charge for those things...
It took about 2 hours to charge
the rest of the way to full...
Documentation mentions
it only takes about a minute
of charging from empty
to be able to do a test...
Going off grid, perhaps,
camping, biking, commuting
on buses, etc, a power brick/
bank, may help, idk...
Initial Settings
A few tings to set, on first run...
Date
Month Year, and format MM-DD-YYYY
or similar... Sort order YYYY-MM-DD
not an option, maybe they can add that?
Time
Similar, and didn't get it right off,
so not sure where it got something
in the ballpark, maybe system,
and the attempts at java running?
High and Low Values
It wants to know what good high and
low values are for me/you,
but I don't know,
providers are to tell us that,
according to documentation.
so took the defaults...
Sound Off
No reason it should annoy me with noise...
Documentation says it will still make
other noises though...
So can't kill it entirely, afaict...
Pulling/ unjumpering / cutting trace(s)
on the speaker lines may
change the circuit current flow,
so might not be an option,
but for really silent people,
testing in the middle of the night with
a sleeping neighbor, etc, will see...
Unlike some smart and dumb phones,
no vibrate on this one, that I can tell,
if sound is bad, a buzzer is probably
even more awkward, I didn't know
you were a X,Y, Z... Here, have
my ketone testing strip, kind of
like women might do with tampons
and pads? /MasculineShrug
RPi3 Saw It
Plugged into an extra USB extension
cable from the RPi3 (RaspberryPi3),
(documentation says only use theirs,
why? any pin out differences
resistance, impedance and/or shielding?
all cables are not the same
for example, a Garmin one
had a capacitor and wire loop
for interference? iirc)
and the GlucoseMeter was found
on the FreeDesktop,
and I was able to open folders/
directories, and find the included
software files, but only Mac and Windows,
Java existed, and some settings/ cache,
but will see when I find and can afford
test strips where readings are actually
stored...
Java Problems
There is a GLUCOFACTS Deluxe
directory (or similar)
and an updating one (java or script?),
(the usual batch file for startup may
be decypherable, but painful)
it seems to do a checksum on
a file, but no real updating, afaict,
it didn't get that far, to give a
windowed display...
Reading the text console display output
java seems to think it's got 64 bit DLLs
(a Dynamic Linked Library,
a Windows term, not java...)
and wants a 64 bit version of java, so
cd /media/pi/GLUCOFACTS
or similar
java -cp . -d64 -jar GLUCOFACTS.jar
cp is class path here (.)
to look in the working directory
where it searches for jar files
and system stuff
but on ARMHF or similar architecture
there isn't one, afaict...
Maybe it's misinterpreting the architecture
as byte size, etc, will see...
There is a main .jar file which it finds
OK (thinking classpath worked),
but still No Joy, yet... Will see...
Other Meters
Same manufacturer/label
Newer Contour Nexts
There exist ones with BlueTooth,
Link, I think it's called, so this model
was a little old, already 5 years behind,
and maybe why it went on sale...
Maybe like a Plus Connect or similar with the
Aviva?
Others
Besides the Bayer/Ascentsia
Oracle Talks
There is a talking one called Oracle,
see links, or search for maybe more
on that...
Headphone Mic Port
There is a cheap simple meter,
with some starting test strips
that plugs into the headphones/
mic/speaker port of a smartphone,
and a carrying case type thing
as an accessory, for Fathers'
Day around $40, IIRC,
will need to find the name,
but you might recognize it,
from that description,
searching around...
Supplies and insurance approvals,
given it may be the Canada one,
but maybe that is more Oracle,
will see with more searching...
Kid Meters Exist
Devices that hook to Nintendo
and other gaming type things
which make things more fun for
kids, so maybe more likely to get
compliance, IDK...
Kind of like Kid Tablets?
Some ID people might help to have
that, IDK...
BioHazard
Since sharps are involved,
(lancet) and blood, test strips
take the blood, etc,
there is in the documentation
of it being a biohazard,
maybe like a razor, needle,
and other personal low level
medical supply like stuff...
Learn more about it..
Might save you and some others
some problems...
Not Even Family
No guarantee that even your relatives
aren't infected with something,
so even that is suspect, in
the documentation...
Cleaning & Disinfecting
Some documentation on a weekly
cleaning and disinfecting.
Product specific, it wants a specific
named brand Clorox wipes,
(but gives active ingredients?)
and has been tested according
to the documentation
for about 5 years of degrading
with weekly cleaning/ disinfecting
of a minute or more, iirc...
Timed exposure with a bleached
based wipe, but not too wet to
get in the electronics, buttons,
display, plugs, contacts, etc...
More to learn / experience
when I actually sample...
Hand Washing Too
Before and after the handling
meter system, doing testing,
etc also mentioned.
In non bathroom/ home settings
not sure if alcohol wipes like
wetwipes, etc would suffice
or contaminate the testing.
It may be more like contact lenses,
idk..
Plus add some drying time too...
Planned Obsolescence?
This reduced cost, late purchasing
one only has a life of about
3 more years, according to the
packaging expiration dates...
Test strips probably expire before that...
But are bought separately...
Better systems might be around,
and cheaper by then. I guess the
old school methods would still be
around. I had a java program
work for about 10 years,
before it disappeared,
from the server, keeping updating
stuff, having open specs, source code,
and software changes, over that time,
make it almost necessary to make
these things obsolete?
Plus medical may have FDA and
other patent encumbered stuff,
that the limitations run out on,
unlike Disney and copyright/
MPAA/RIAA, DRM, etc...
/Snark
I wonder if generics save lives
more, if available sooner?
Free Meters
Searching around online,
at least one company
had a free meter offer,
you answer questions online,
and if you qualify,
print a coupon,
with an Rx from your doc,
could get a free meter at a store/
pharmacy...
The way I answered the questions,
it said I couldn't, so will see, maybe
just privacy problems, and marketing,
basically lies/misleads? to get info,
subscriptions, contact leads, research
subjects, etc?
At about $30-50 for a low end meter,
and test strips being say $30-50/ month,
selling a meter cheaply, or give
away, locks someone in to their
supplies revenue stream(s)...
House Pharmacy Brand
The house pharmacy brand meter(s)
seemed the cheapest, supply wise,
maybe see if lockin to a local/national
chain, is worth the trouble...
Or just like generics,
I'm being snobbish?
Maybe more like a probable conflict
with the store/ chain management,
and then I could not get it elsewhere...
Discount Cards
Seems to exclude the Medicare
type people, even if they have
no Rx? Cash Payers, and eligible,
and somehow you can't save $25/month
until the end of the year?
Maybe it takes more of a legal
mind to get that thru the systems...
Online Test Strip Co Pay Diviner?
So one or more companies makes
it possibly easier to find out how much
the test strips might cost with your
insurance?
Is this system so obfuscated that
stuff like that is necessary?
Data Conversions
Two main units of measurement
for usual testing...
metric and moles, iirc
Exporting to a spreadsheet, given
many different meters. software,
and eventually, maybe try them all
and want to see how it compares...
Blood, however, and the timing,
multiple testing from a stick,
and might see if it gives the same
values, kind of like computer
testing and debugging.
Control solutions and calibrations
too, might be a good baseline,
and practice use, with less sticking self,
but gets expensive to do some of that
with ~$1-2/ test strip, lancets, cleaning,
etc...
The lancets only probably puncture
for a small sample size (in microlitres?),
the older meters and lancets probably
required more blood, and therefore
more pain, scars, risks of infection, etc...
Blood volume and testing has likely
improved, but painless is likely not
there yet... Saw a Japanese cable
documentary show that had
a mosquito like mimicking biology
scissoring blade thing,
and some people don't even feel
some bug bites until later,
(likely a reaction to other stuff,
lubricants,saliva type digestive juices,
etc that the insect creates)
but with R&D, maybe that is years/
decades off...
A1C Units Different
So, if I'm reading it right,
the averaging 60-90 day
A1C test is not directly related,
but there is an online calculator
(one of the diabetes.org type sites)
for what geeky people call
sanity checks, I guess...
Time of Sampling
While there is an alarm type
reminder on the device, for
minutes/up to 24 hours,
various sources list a
before meal
after meal
and exercise? type sampling
time, wondering how the cyclic
peaks and troughs work with
eating, fasting and what you
eat may make a difference too...
Activity Tracking
Since other devices also exist
to get activity levels, say with
GPS, accelerometers, gyros, etc
and even old sleep study type stuff,
that activity data may be helpful for
determining calories burned, stress
levels, emotional states, etc...
Emergency Type Alerts
More features some other connected
meters, maybe, include texting a few
(3-4?) trusted relatives/ friends/
professionals with your GPS
coordinates, in case
you collapse I guess...
I don't think bring a case of donuts,
ice cream, milkshake, box o' chocolate,
candy bars, etc is what they had in mind,
but I wouldn't put it beyond some people
to hack it or spoof it that way...
Maybe someone likely to have
gestational, would get a cravings
device testing, but I digress...
Continuous Metering
Reading about an implant for
testing continuously,
I guess for very fragile, or type 1
diabetics, maybe...
But mention of infections,
rejecting the implant, etc,
so will see how that all works
out, for others, first...
Say in the MH or other disability
world, someone is demented,
and/or incapable of doing
some things, like blind?
paraplegic and
can't see/ hear / reach to test self,
has no one else to test them
so much, several times a day,
and gets an implant instead?
Insulin Pump Integration
Soem more advanced meters
will communicate, probably with
BlueTooth, to the other devices
some diabetics have, an insulin
pump, to get values correct,
and do some logging, I guess...
Beyond me at this point, but
knowing of the progression,
not eating right, exercise,
get tested, etc, and it might
lead to that, in a dytopian,
motivate self to eat better, etc,
sort of way..
Device Data
Copyright 2012 packaging
includes almost a whole side
panel size sticker that mentions
some stuff like:
Expiration date (got a few more yrs...),
lot number, etc
High Power USB port,
System Software (OS):
Windows: three versions,
MacOSX: three versions,
but not Linux,
Java is listed,
1.6 update 17 or higher,
so might be hope, and
a link...
Links
"For latest compatibility:"
http://www.BayerContour.com
http://ContourChoice.com
"for savings, support, special offers, and more..."
yeah, carriage return line breaks required
when making links, in PBWorks,
but good luck with that...
Bigger fish to fry, so to speak...
Movie name was:
Logan's Run
I had to look it up...
Find a link, sometime,
probably WikiPedia...
Conclusion
Summary of experience or similar
Small form factor with regular type A USB
plug built on, including
- rechargeable battery LiPo?,
- charging adapter/brick,
- USB extension cable,
- zippered carrying case,
- manuals,
- MicroLet2 lancing device +AST
- lancets (10) coloured
(using brit English rules, for giggles)
The device basically resembles a big
USB stick with a display, buttons,
and on the other end a test strip place...
Says lighted too (a few? colours)...
When I get test strips, if I'm still alive,
then maybe this will be more interesting,
but as mentioned previously,
( in RocheAccuChekAvivaConnect2017)
a USB stick version, smaller exists,
and in clearance, so had to get when
available, instead of kicking myself
for not getting it later...
(I think that the other one?
might have been the Nano,
but will check later one, maybe...)
Small amusements for a geek,
you may see why later...
And no, I'm not masocistic
liking pain, needle pricks, etc,
just a geeky device that has
developed over the years,
and given some problems
and family histories,
worth learning more about...
Discussion
A place for feedback on the page presented
What risks do you take not looking stuff
up, say you don't have a data plan,
or WiFi not available, or in a rush,
or just because some others might
scoop it up...?
Packaging of the device is nice,
just want it to work with Linux,
even if the device doesn't,
the USB cables, charging brick,
etc is probably about that price
in a convenience store anyways...
What are the familial risks of infection?
Parent to Child?
Child to Parent?
Sibling to Sibling?
Any others in the Household?
Does age make a difference?
How so?
License
Creative Commons Share and Share Alike,
Non Commercial, Non Derivative,
for the whole site's contents
unless otherwise explicitly stated
Page History
20170614 20070510EthicsDignityRiskJerry
- Adding more info after opening, charging,
- setting, and much more reading and searching...
- But still not used the bugger, as no test strips,
- yet...
20170612 Jerry
- Jerry created this page to log a new device...
- next would have been better as packaged
- lower case, but CamelCase demands
- inconsistencies, which I probably will not
- recall without these Page History blurbs...
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