Abbott announced that it has received approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia for its FreeStyle® Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System, a revolutionary new glucose sensing technology for insulin-using Australians with diabetes. The system eliminates the need for routine finger pricks1, reading glucose levels through a sensor that can be worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days. In addition, no finger prick calibration is needed a key differentiator from current continuous glucose monitoring systems.
Abbott′s FreeStyle Libre System consists of a small, round sensor approximately the size of two stacked Australian 20-cent coins worn on the back of the upper arm; the system measures glucose every minute in interstitial fluid through a small (5mm long, 0.4mm wide) filament that is inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad. A handheld reader is scanned over the sensor to get a glucose result painlessly in less than one second, without the need to draw blood routinely. Each scan displays a real-time glucose result, a historical trend and the direction the glucose is heading.
The reader holds up to 90 days of data, providing a historical snapshot of glucose levels over time. The FreeStyle Libre System software enables the data to be presented in a user-friendly, visual chart driving a more productive discussion with health care professionals around treatment and any necessary modification to it.
