Arkray-Piramal Healthcare release Glucocard 01 for diabetes care

Mumbai, Apr 8 (UNI) Arkray Inc, a Japan-based innovator company, makers of the world's first-ever diabetes self-monitoring device and specialists in diabetes care and diagnostics, in partnership with Piramal Healthcare, has launched Glucocard 01- a highly advanced glucometer in India.

Glucocard 01 offers a high level of accuracy and precision in self-monitoring of blood glucose due to the use of sophisticated and unique bio-sensor technology. In addition, Glucocard 01 ensures a virtually pain-free testing experience for the diabetic patient, the company said in a statement.

Glucocard 01 uses a unique combination of a Ruthenium-based mediator and thin film, carbon-coated electrodes, which makes the testing strips (all glucometers require disposable testing strips) free from temperature and humidity interference, thus ensuring accurate and precise results.

In addition, the new glucometer provides automatic calibration (minimising chances of manual errors) and a temperature compensation mechanism (using an in-built thermistor). As the blood sample required for testing is minimal (0.3 microlitres) for Glucocard 01, this ensures a virtually error-free and pain-free testing experience for the patient.

With a diabetic population of more than 40 million, India is on its way to becoming the diabetes capital of the world.

Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is a very important aspect of diabetes self-care. If not closely monitored, high blood glucose can lead to serious complications such as heart disease, strokes, kidney damage and sight loss.

However, the concept of SMBG is not yet established very well in the country, with only 0.3 per cent of diabetics using self-monitoring blood glucose devices as compared to 33 per cent in the US. The use of glucometers could provide up-to-date information on blood glucose patterns over a period of time.

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