Lancets and Devices

 About lancets

A lancet is a small plastic device that holds the needle securely. They come in a package with a cover over the tip of the needle, which needs to be removed before use. Once you insert the lancet into the collection pen, there is a safety cap to keep the needle sterile and help prevent accidental injections.

Lancet needles come in different widths, which are measured in gauges (G). The finer and narrower the needle, the less painful it is to use. Interestingly, higher numbers indicate finer and narrower needles, while lower numbers indicate heavier and thicker needles. So the 33G lancet is thinner and more desirable than the 30G lancet.

It is best to use a new, sterile lancet with each puncture. This doesn't always happen in real life. Changing the lancet over and over again can be a burden, and most people find that reusing a lancet over a period of time works well for them. However, be aware that reusing the lancet increases the risk of infection because the lancet needle is no longer sterile after use. And each time the lancet is used, the needle becomes more blunt, increasing the jaggedness of each injection it makes. In the short term, blunt lancet needles can be more painful to use, while over time they cause more damage to the skin.

Interesting fact: Not all lancets look the same. While the shape and function of the lancets do not vary much, some manufacturers make their lancets in a rainbow of colors. This adds a bit of fun to an otherwise unfun task. Some parents of children with diabetes have commented in their product reviews that focusing on the colors makes it less worrying for their child to be stung.

Avoiding the pain of the sting

All manufacturers promise little or no pain when using their devices. These claims are based on a certain combination of the following product features:

Minimizing how much the lancet vibrates and/or the lancet moves from side to side when triggered to keep the lancet moving in a straight path

Using a thinner (softer) lancet needle

Coating the lancet needle with a material that reduces friction with the skin

Possibility to set the depth of the blow

Finding your best lance choice

Deciding which collection pen and lancets are best for you is highly personal. For each of us, the feelings that come with the need to stab ourselves are different.

You may choose to use any collection pen and lancet that you find convenient. In fact, if you choose one of the many lancets that come standard with a square base, you may not even need to use the same manufacturer's sampling device and lancets – creating a truly custom setup.

The descriptions below cover 10 popular sampling devices currently available in the United States. Finding the best one for you may take a bit of trial and error, but this list should help you narrow down the options to look at.

A note on listed costs: The actual price you pay for the collection pen and lancets will depend on your insurance, whether you use the manufacturer's discount coupon, and whether you find any other discount. Since the price paid can be highly variable, unless otherwise stated, we have included the list price listed on the manufacturer's website, rounded up to the whole dollar. When the manufacturer did not provide a price.

Accu-Chek 

Form factor: The stylus itself looks like a thick, retractable pen with a button on one end and a cover on the other. This is the most common design for a sampling pen. What is unusual is the way the needles are packaged. They come in a separate drum of six. This design eliminates any need to touch or directly see the needles. And that means you can test all day without having to insert a new lancet every time. But this is a proprietary design that makes FastClix incompatible with other manufacturers' lancets.

Function:

11 depth settings

Precise lancet lowering to minimize side-to-side movement

A lancet needle with a beveled edge to smooth the injection

Lancet needles pre-loaded in a drum of six

Needles: Fine gauge needle (30G) with beveled blade

User Feedback: Highly rated on Amazon, rated 4.6 out of 5 stars. One user pointed out that he didn't like having to manually advance to the next needle after each use.

Where to buy: www.zahrun.com