Abbott Laboratories has introduced the FreeStyle Mini and Precision Xceed blood glucose monitoring systems for Europe at the 40th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Munich, Germany.

The FreeStyle system offers people with diabetes virtually pain free testing and the new FreeStyle Mini is the world's smallest glucose meter. Precision Xceed is an advanced diabetes management system that has the capability to measure both blood glucose and blood ketone levels in one simple, easy-to-use meter.

"The launch of FreeStyle Mini and Precision Xceed in the European marketplace is a testament to Abbott's commitment to developing technologies and products that help people with diabetes worldwide to better manage their condition," commented Ed Fiorentino, president of Abbott Diabetes Care, a division of Abbott Laboratories. "We look forward to these products becoming part of Abbott's already established family of blood glucose management tools in the European Union," he added.

FreeStyle Mini is a sleek, multi-featured meter that offers convenient and discreet testing for people with diabetes, especially for frequent testers and active individuals. As with all FreeStyle systems, FreeStyle Mini requires the world's smallest blood sample; 50 to 90 per cent less than most existing blood glucose systems. FreeStyle Mini and all FreeStyle systems use coulometry - a unique, patented electrochemical measurement technique - to effectively measure all of the glucose in a blood sample, so only a sample of 0.3 microlitres is needed. Additionally, FreeStyle technology offers the most testing sites, enabling patients to obtain samples from testing areas less painful than fingers, such as forearms, upper arms, palms, thighs and calves, an Abbott release said.

FreeStyle Mini provides an average test time of seven seconds, and also contains features such as a backlit display, four customizable daily alarms, and a lighted test strip port for easy testing at night or in other low light conditions.

"Blood glucose testing is such a critical part of diabetes self-management that it's important to make testing as convenient and pain free as possible for people with diabetes," said Jo Butler, registered nurse and nurse consultant, Wandsworth Primary Care Trust, United Kingdom. "The design and features of FreeStyle Mini provide an active patient population with a meter that's discreet and provides virtually pain free testing."

Precision Xceed is the only home glucose monitor (in addition to Abbott's Precision Xtra and Precision Optium) that also allows people with diabetes to test both their blood glucose and blood ketone levels in a simple, easy-to-use meter.

"With the unique blood glucose and blood ketone testing capability of Precision Xceed, people with diabetes have an opportunity to better manage their condition in a way that's convenient, effective and simple," said Raija Bjerkeheim, chief nurse, department of endocrinology and diabetology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm.

Precision Xceed features many easy-to-teach and easy-to-use design elements, including a three-button design to make testing and programming simple, a test time of ten seconds, and a backlit display for testing in low light conditions. Precision Xceed also uses TrueMeasure technology test strips, which filter out common interfering substances such as aspirin, vitamin C and acetaminophen. TrueMeasure test strips have a unique fill-trigger mechanism designed to prevent tests from starting until an adequate blood sample is present, thereby minimizing strip waste.

Elevated ketone levels can indicate an increased risk for developing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a potentially life-threatening condition caused by acute insulin deficiency. DKA must be recognized and treated as soon as possible in order to prevent serious illness or even death. Precision Xceed allows people with diabetes to test and respond to increased blood ketone levels.