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Who Invented Glucose Machines?

The 1960s invention of the blood glucose machine brought significant improvements to the treatment of diabetic patients. Two men, Anton Hubert Clemens, the inventor, and Richard K. Bernstein, the first home user, changed the paradigm of insulin management.

  1. Inventor

    • Anton Hubert Clemens, who preferred to be called Tom, invented the first blood glucose machine in 1968 and was granted a patent in 1971. He assigned his invention to Miles Laboratories in Elkhart, Indiana, a solidly established company who had made a name in therapeutic treatment for nervous disorders; Bayer AG acquired Miles Laboratories in the 1990s. Miles Laboratories licensed the patent to the company Ames who had been providing some of the elements used in the invention. Ames launched the first blood glucose meter under the name of the Ames Reflectance Meter, or ARM.

    Invention

    • The glucose machine used paper strips, marketed by Ames under the name of Dextrostix, on which blood was deposited. After exactly one minute, the strip was washed under strong running water. After being exposed to blood, the strip turned blue. Once the strip was inserted into the meter, the reader compared the blue color of the strip to different tones from a color map and tried to match the color to one of the references. Each color alignment represented a level of glucose in the patient's blood.

    First Deployment

    • Although the product was designed to be used into a physician office, the first application emerged in an hospital setting where doctors and nurses relied on this monitor to screen unconscious patients and separate between someone who had fainted from insulin deprivation and an intoxicated drunk who had passed out.

    First Home User

    • Richard K. Bernstein was a Type 1 diabetic engineer determined to manage his insulin better. Noticing an advertisement for ARM in a publication called "Lab World" in 1969, he asked, his wife, who was a physician, to order this glucose machine. Equipped with this very expensive $650 blood sugar monitor, Bernstein started to monitor his own blood to better understand how much his insulin level was varying during the day. After noticing the broad swings in the measurements, Bernstein altered the number of insulin injections and modified his diet to minimize the variations. This discovery started the movement of using glucose machines to customize patients diets and treatments.

    Evolution

    • This 3 lb. heavy device experienced significant improvements in portability and cost reduction over several decades. Today, the 1.5 oz. glucose monitor can be found in drug stores and is available as an over-the-counter purchase for a few dollars. Integral part of a diabetic management system, it empowers the patient to take charge of his own diet and insulin treatment.

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