Managing diabetes every day can be complicated. There are lots of things to consider, including what to eat, your level of activity and your medication. You might also wonder what happens to your blood glucose when you are stressed or sick.

Testing your blood glucose can help you answer lots of questions. Knowing how all the parts of your diabetes management plan work together can make things seem simpler.

Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter has features to help you manage diabetes your way and to make better sense of the numbers. Navigate to the tips section that interests you using the Table of Contents to the right, or scroll through them all for a more complete look at tips to manage your diabetes with Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter.

See Top 15 Tips 

Getting Started with Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB

Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter has a permanent Rechargeable Battery. So, before you do anything else, charge your battery by plugging Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter into your computer or the optional wall charger. Your meter will briefly display “Do Not Test-Charging” and the test strip port light will flash. The charging time will depend on the USB port of your computer.

If using your USB port to charge, be sure your computer is turned on and not in sleep, hibernate or power saving mode.

Use Quickstart for a faster setup before your first test so you can start using Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter sooner. For more information on Quickstart, download the User Guide.

Skip setting the date and time on Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter just by plugging it into your computer. It automatically synchs the date and time with that of your computer.

USB Connection

It is recommended to use a high-power USB port to charge Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter. If the charging status displays “Low Power Charging,” you should try a different USB port on your computer. Depending on the operating system low-power ports may indicate that the USB device has exceeded the power capacity of the port. If GLUCOFACTS® DELUXE does not appear within a minute or so, another port should be tried.

Your CONTOUR® USB meter contains approximately 500 MB of extra memory you can use to store personal diabetes files and information. It appears on your computer as a removable disk named “Contour USB” when you insert Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter into the USB port. You can use this memory while your battery is charging. When you read or write to the memory, the strip port light flashes quickly.

Test Strips

Always keep the CONTOUR® test strips in the original bottle and tightly close the bottle immediately after removing a test strip. The bottle is designed to keep the test strips dry. Exposure to room humidity from leaving the bottle open or not storing them in the original bottle can damage your test strips.

Do not drop blood directly on the flat surface of the test strip. Your test strip is designed to easily “sip” the blood into the sample tip.

Do not press the test strip against your finger. This may block the sample tip.

Let the meter and test strips adjust to the temperature of the location where you are testing. As a general rule, allow 20 minutes for the meter to adjust to the temperature of that new location before performing a blood glucose test. The products have been designed to give accurate results at temperatures between 5°C and 40°C.

Check the expiry dates on your test strips and control solution to help ensure accurate results.

If you do not apply blood to the test strip within 1 minute of inserting the test strip into Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter, the meter screen will dim and the meter beeps. Press any button and the Apply Blood screen will become active again. After a total of 3 minutes of inactivity the meter turns off.

Illuminated Test Strip Port

Use the Illuminated Test Strip Port to test in low-light conditions. Activate it by pressing the menu button twice.

Rechargeable Battery

You cannot test while the battery is charging. When charging is finished, the test strip port light will turn off. Unplug Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter to test.

If you wish to test immediately after disconnecting from your computer, please use the USB cable to charge the meter, as USB ports in some computers and self-powered USB hubs can become much warmer than the room.

If the Battery is low when you plug in your CONTOUR® USB meter from Bayer, it will Rapid Charge for about 1 minute. You can run a blood glucose test as soon as Rapid Charge is complete.

You can also charge your meter using a Wall Charger. To obtain your free wall charger, make sure you register your meter.

AutoLog

AutoLog marks results as Before/After Meal, which helps identify which tests were taken before or after eating. This helps organise testing Trends, making testing even more valuable and meaningful.

Your meter comes with AutoLog turned on. Keep this feature turned on to get the most benefit from your meter features.

When AutoLog is ON, a result will not appear unless marked as Before Meal, After Meal, or No Mark unless the result is above or below the set target range or outside the meter range. In this case, AutoLog is overridden in order to display test information promptly.

If AutoLog is on and you were not able to mark it before the high or low alert appeared, press the Notes button. You may now select Before Meal, After Meal or No Mark by pressing the button next to it.

Target Ranges

Your healthcare provider can help determine your appropriate Target Ranges. Discuss it at your next visit.

Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter comes preset with 3.9-7.2 mmol/L for Before Meal testing and 3.9-10.0 mmol/L for After Meal testing.

These target ranges can be changed on the meter within the following parameters: (2.8-5.5 mmol/L)-(4.9-16.7 mmol/L).

Trends

Viewing your testing trends can tell you the average blood glucose level of your test results in a certain time period, which can give you an idea of your overall control for that time.

The default time period for Trends is the 14 day average. You can change the averages to 7 or 30 days.

Viewing your pre- and post-meal blood glucose averages may be a simple way to help you take action and achieve better control of your diabetes. If pre- and post-meal averages are in your target range, you can feel confident about your efforts to manage your blood glucose. If one or the other is out of your target range, you can look at your logbook to pinpoint trouble spots you might want to discuss with your healthcare team.

Reminders

Set a Reminder on Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter so you remember to test — anytime, anywhere.

You and your healthcare professional can decide the best times for you to test so you get the most useful information to discuss together.

Certain error messages and the Reminder bell will override the Sound Off setting, so you can still receive Reminders when you’ve selected Sound Off.

Notes

Add more relevance to results with a Note explaining unique testing circumstances.

After the confirmation screen disappears, you may add additional Notes by repeating the “Adding Notes” steps. The notes will scroll across the bottom so that you can read them all.

Before Testing

Before you test, have your testing materials ready, including Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter, CONTOUR® test strips, and the MICROLET®2 lancing device with MICROLET® lancets from Bayer. You may also need CONTOUR® control solution to run a quality control check.

Wash your hands and “puncture site” thoroughly with warm soapy water and dry them well before testing.

After Testing

Always dispose of test strip and lancet properly. All products that come in contact with human blood should be handled as if capable of transmitting viral diseases.

Control Tests

Don’t forget to perform control tests. You should perform a control test:

When using your meter for the first time

To check if you are testing correctly

When you open a new pot of test strips

If you leave the test strip pot open for an extended period of time

If you think your meter may not be working properly

Control solution is available from the Bayer Diabetes Care website. Always use CONTOUR® control solutions, as other brands could present incorrect results.

For more information on Control Tests, download the User Guide.

High & Low Blood Glucose

Blood glucose levels below 2.8 mmol/L or above 13.9 mmol/L may indicate a potentially serious medical condition. If your test result is below 2.8 mmol/L or above 13.9 mmol/L, consult a healthcare professional immediately.

Know the symptoms of high and low blood glucose. It will help you better understand your test results and help you decide what to do if your results seem unusual. Some of the most common symptoms are:¹

High blood glucose (Hyperglycaemia):

frequent urination excessive thirst blurred vision increased fatigue extreme hunger irritability

Low blood glucose (Hypoglycaemia):

shakiness sweating fast heartbeat blurred vision confusion passing out seizure

Ketones (Ketoacidosis):

shortness of breath nausea and vomiting very dry mouth

1 American Diabetes Association, www.diabetes.org

Caring for Your Meter

If you use a cable, use the one provided in your meter kit.

Store your meter in the carrying case provided whenever possible.

Wash your hands and dry them thoroughly before handling to keep the meter and test strips free of oils and other contaminants.

Handle the meter carefully to avoid damaging the electronics or causing other malfunctions.

Avoid exposing your meter and test strips to excessive humidity, heat, cold, dust, or dirt.

The exterior of the meter can be cleaned using a moist (not wet) lint-free tissue with a mild detergent or disinfectant solution, such as 1 part bleach mixed with 9 parts water. Wipe dry with a lint-free tissue after cleaning.

CAUTION: Do not allow cleaning solution to run in or around the buttons, USB cap or strip port. Doing so may cause a malfunction.

The USB cap of Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter is designed to protect the USB port. Should you lose the cap, call Bayer Diabetes Support on 0845 600 6030 (UK) or 1 890 920 111 (Ireland) for a replacement.

System Requirements

Make sure your computer has the correct system requirements for Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter.

System Requirements:

Windows: Windows®, XP SP3, Vista® SP2

Mac: OS® X v10.5.7 (Intel® 64 bit processors only)

Only connect to a computer or charger that is certified to UL 60950-1.

Meter Registration

Register your CONTOUR® USB meter from Bayer so you can receive updates.

Service

If you have a problem and none of the problem solving messages on the meter help, please do not hesitate to call Bayer Diabetes Support. We use our professional expertise and experience to offer advice and information you can trust. No query is too trivial. When in doubt, just ask. Call us on 0845 600 6030 (UK) or 1 890 920 111 (Ireland) from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.

Speak to a Bayer Diabetes Care Support before returning your meter for any reason. Our nurse advisors will help you get your problem handled correctly and efficiently. Have Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB blood glucose meter and CONTOUR® test strips available when you phone. It would also be helpful to have a bottle of CONTOUR® control solution nearby.

Check List: This check list may be helpful when speaking with Bayer Diabetes Support:

1. Locate the model number (A) __________ and serial number (B) __________ on the back of the meter.

2. Locate the test strips’ expiry date __________ on the pot.

3. Check the battery symbol on the screen. (See page 50 of the User Guide, Battery Status Displays and Charging.)

Talking to Your Diabetes Nurse

Always take your CONTOUR® USB meter with you to your diabetes check-ups. Your diabetes nurse will be able to view your testing Trends.

You can print your reports (to take to your appointment) or download a PDF (to e-mail your diabetes nurse) using GLUCOFACTS® DELUXE. Your doctor can see testing trends and other details that may help them work with you to better manage your diabetes.

Your healthcare professional can help determine your appropriate Target Ranges. Discuss it at your next visit. Bayer’s CONTOUR® USB meter comes preset with 3.9-7.2 mmol/L for Before Meal testing and 3.9-10.0 mmol/L for After Meal testing.

You and your healthcare professional can decide the best times for you to test so you get the most useful information to discuss together. You can set testing Reminders for these times so you don’t forget.