The 2010 Consumer Guide includes products that were on the market by Oct. 1, 2009, but chances are that new devices will crop up during the year. Since last year’s guide, DexCom introduced an upgraded continuous glucose monitor known as the Seven Plus; Medtronic launched a new insulin pump infusion set called the Mio; and Fora Care introduced the Fora G90 meter. (You’ll see more details on those products on the following pages.) And among products that have become available to consumers since October 1, Fifty50 Medical came out with a coding-free meter known as the 2.0, and Bayer unveiled the USB plug-and-play Contour USB meter, in the shape of a thumb drive. Early this year, Diabetic Supply of Suncoast plans to offer a new, no-coding blood glucose/blood pressure monitor, the Advocate Redi-Code Duo. Here’s a preview of a few more products on the way:

Solo MicroPump
Medingo’s Solo pump is basically a lighter, slimmer version of the OmniPod, with a few extra tricks. You can give a bolus from either the pump (top) or the handheld remote (bottom). And if you need to disconnect, you can do so without throwing away the entire pump (and wasting insulin), as you’ll do with the OmniPod. Starting early this year, the Solo pump will be tested in select markets; there isn’t a nationwide release date yet.

Paradigm Veo
Medtronic’s latest product offers the same pump-and-CGM combo as its Real Time system—with a twist: The device automatically suspends insulin delivery when glucose levels drop below a certain level. The company has rolled out its pump in Europe, Canada, and the Middle East, but is still working to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, a process that could take more than a year to complete.

Didget
Blood glucose tests can be boring for kids, which is why Bayer created the Didget, a meter that plugs into a Nintendo DS or DS Lite gaming system. Regular testing and hitting glucose targets earn kids points they can use with the included Knock ’Em Downs video game. The device is already out in Britain, but it is awaiting FDA approval stateside.

LifeScan iPhone App
During Apple’s iPhone preview event last March, LifeScan unveiled an application that would allow its meters to wirelessly send blood glucose readings to an iPhone. The application would then allow users to comment on a reading, graph trends, estimate insulin needs, and count carbs. So far, the company hasn’t officially announced when the application will be released.

gDrive
The new meter from Genesis Health Technologies, which is expected to be available this month, includes a test-strip port and a USB connector that essentially converts a regular cell phone into a real-time blood glucose meter, transmitting information over a cell phone’s data network to a secure Web site.

Jazz Wireless
AgaMatrix is still working to win FDA approval for the Jazz Wireless, which adds the capability for Bluetooth wireless connectivity to the standard Jazz meter. A similar device, Entra Health Systems’ MyGlucoHealth Wireless, was released in April 2009.