History of Blood Sugar Testing

For a diabetic, testing your blood sugar is your connection to health. Glucose testing meters have a short history, but an interesting one. Next to the discovery of insulin in 1921-22 or the introduction of oral medications in 1955, the invention of a portable blood sugar meter in the 1960s and its introduction to the public in the early 1980s has changed the lives of diabetics.

History

• The first person to test his blood sugar was Dick Bernstein. Bernstein, an engineer, developed Type 1 diabetes as a teenager. "One of the main reasons why I started all the blood sugar measurements was all the hypoglycemia," Bernstein reported. "My family was mad at me. I made them terrified."
  He came across an ad in a technical journal for a blood sugar meter that claimed it would give a glucose reading in one minute with one drop of blood. The problem was, the company would not sell it to individuals. Bernstein, using his psychiatrist wife's name, ordered the 3 pound meter for $650 (a month's wage in 1969).

  The meter was called Ames Reflectance Meter, abbreviated as the A.R.M. The A.R.M. used Dextrostix, a treated paper strip. Bernstein added a drop of blood and washed it off after 1 minute and matched the color to a chart. Color matching was not exact and hard to measure, but it gave an approximation of your glucose level. It was intended for doctor's use, but Bernstein used it successfully at home.
  Dextrostix were invented in the early 1960s and were just discontinued a few years ago by the Bayer Corporation.

  The strips were not accurate and a new meter was designed using a needle and light and produced a number for accurate quantitative readings. The ARM was renamed the Ames Glucometer.

Time Frame

• Deb Butterfield in her book, "Showdown with Diabetes" (Norton, 1999) reports that blood glucose meters were invented as a result of a meeting at a party in 1980. In fact, it was three decades earlier that the idea for personal use glucose meter was conceived.

  Butterfield reports that endocrinologist Dr. Michael Miller met venture capitalist Ted Doan at a cocktail party and convinced him to fund the production of a glucose meter for home use called LifeScan. Dr. Miller admits that the idea did not originate with him, he read about glucose meters in an article by Dr. Dick Bernstein.

Theories/Speculation

• Dick Bernstein wanted to manage his hypoglycemia and began testing his blood sugar using rudimentary methods. Ten years later, in 1969 he happened to read an ad in a technical magazine for a blood glucose meter that promised a reading with a single drop of blood within 1 minute.

  Bernstein began testing frequently throughout the day. He reversed most of the complications of diabetes by maintaining normal glucose levels from diet and testing.

  Doctors and all the diabetes medical journals said it was impossible to normalize blood sugar in humans. Dick Bernstein was not able to get his findings published, even with the support of the Ames Company who manufactured the meter he was using to test his blood.

  In 1979 at the age of 45, Bernstein decided to go to medical school to become an endocrinologist to share his discoveries about daily testing. Dr. Bernstein wrote dozens of journal articles and several books including, "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution."

Significance

• Diabetes is an epidemic and millions of lives have been lost to the disease. We still do not know the primary cause, but thanks to a hypoglycemic engineer, you have a powerful ally in the fight against your disease--your glucose meter.

Current Status

• Glucose meters today are big business. More than nine companies offer more than 30 models of meters in the United States market. Testing supplies are estimated to exceed $1 billion according to Frost & Sullivan market research firm.

  Meters are compact and computerized leaving you without excuse for daily testing. Insurance companies pay for your supplies or samples can be obtained from diabetes professionals.

  Tom Clemens in 1966 built the first prototypes for the ARM and filed a patent in 1968 notes the lack of enthusiasm from the diabetes professionals about his project: "The Reflectance Meter became a hobby of mine, which marketing really didn't want to have any part of," Clemens recalls. "We had the Reflectance Meter done---prototypes ready for evaluation---and were still waiting for the approval of the project." Clemens had no idea how important his invention would be to the lives of millions of diabetics using a glucose meter today.