Has anyone used the One Touch UltraSmart meter? [Archive]

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kitty

12-27-2005, 08:52 PM

nantomsuethom

12-27-2005, 09:43 PM

Thomas used the OneTouch and OneTouch Ultra Smart. The problem he had with these meters was as soon as the blood touched the strip it started to read, if he didn't have enough blood it read error.

He now uses the FreeStyle Flash and loves it. It uses the smallest drop of blood (in our opinion) and will wait up to a min. to get a drop on the strip.

karpoozi123

12-28-2005, 12:36 AM

I used to use the one touch ultra. It was ok but now I use the freestyle flash and it's awesome:) much better. Definately use that one!

kitty

12-28-2005, 03:54 PM

Thanks a bunch!
I had seen the Freestyle advertised in a diabetes magazine, but didn't know if it would work good.
Well... now I do!!! I didn't realize the One Touch Ultrasmart meter had so many problems.

Is there a difference between the regular Freestyle and the Freestyle Flash? Do they take the same amount of time for the test?
I'm having to test my blood sugar more, becuase the doctor strongly thinks I might be developing "pre-diabetes", becuase my numbers have been higher than normal.

Jessie:cool:

karpoozi123

12-29-2005, 01:31 AM

The main differences between the freestyle and the flash is the size and the back light. I am not sure what else though because I only used the freestyle once. I am pretty sure testing time is the same for both. The only drawback of the freestyle line is that it doesnt have a count down. I do not find that it bothers me much though. Glad to be of help:)

munchkingirl

12-29-2005, 02:19 PM

I currently use the one touch ultra smart meter - and I love it. It has a log book in it - so if you're good about keeping one, you don't have to carry around an extra pen and logbook with alllll your other normal supplies as well. It's really nice, Though I do i agree with some of the others here where you *have* to make sure you have enough blood before you touch it to the strip - because I won't let you add any if you don't. But it's really really nice for me. I have only ever used lifescan meters, though, because that's all my insurance will cover. But I love them nonetheless.

bethdou

12-29-2005, 03:28 PM

We received the One Touch ultra in the hospital, and at a support group meeting a company rep gave us an UltraSmart. They both are quite picky about needing enough blood; we wasted quite a few strips in the beginning. My biggest complaint about the Ultra Smart is that it's really hard to read the Logbook - when you first test, the number is displayed in large print, but when you have to look it up again, it's TINY. I do like the logbook feature, even tho I'm not good about using it....my husband and daughter like the regular Ultra more than the Ultra Smart. :)

Ben'sMommy

04-20-2006, 08:12 AM

My little boy uses the One Touch Ultra Smart and we find it great.
Along with a built in log book there is also daytime averages over different periods of time, (7, 14, 30 days etc).
There is a mealtime graph which shows you what times of the day are the peaks and troughs.
It allows you to programme in your pump info ie insulin used, bolus ratio etc.
The memory is huge.
The finger pricker and lancets are very small and easy to use. Ben has been using this since diagnosis at 7 months old and his fingers are totally fine. It's very gentle.
The info can be downloaded to P.C. and is very clear and concise.
These are just some of the features of the One Touch Ultra Smart.
We love it.
Best of luck!;)

cydnimom

04-25-2006, 02:43 PM

I love the OneTouch Ultra Smart. I log everything though and thats why I like it. You can log in exercise, doc appt results, whether you're sick, how many carbs you ate, how much and what kind of insulin you took whether it be pump, injection or pills. It is downloadable and does graphs and charts.

The one drawback if you can call it that is that because it counts down in 5 secs you don't have a lot of time to get the blood on it, but it takes such a small amount that if you are having to "milk" your finger after the poke it wouldn't be much good for many machines. All you have to do is make sure you have enough to start with.

Just my thoughts. I think a lot of the machines are comparable but this one has a lot of extras (if you need them) and thats why its my choice.

voyseyboy

04-27-2006, 04:55 AM

i have both the one touch ultrasmart and the freestyle flash as a teenagers point of vue i Love them both my ultrasmart is good for looking at any patterns trends or problems with my blood sugars in the many graphs available on my pc it also helps me to adjust my pump in anyway that i may need to. i find it a little bit too big to take out with me though and the freestyle flash is alot smaller so i just slip that into my pocket when i go out to the cinema bowling ice skating anything like that i think it is gd to hve this choice as it makes my life a whole lot easier not haviong to carry round a big blood machine but i also like the idea of my machine linking up with my pc!!!

lewis

fortristan

08-16-2006, 11:13 AM

my son uses them both one touch 1 and ultra2 and there all right but were looking for less blood on the fingers

sammie011791

10-01-2006, 11:11 PM

I have been diabetic for 4 years and all i have used is one touch. i have one touch ulta smart i thought that it was really good with the log book and excerise stuff you can but in but the case and it was bigger then some of my other meters then i got the new one touch mini just this week i love it is so little the only thing is that it dont have a light.

rickst29

10-03-2006, 03:53 PM

Even though I've been using them for years, and have no choice. (The "standard" Ultra is the only meter which my continuous monitor will talk with.)

Three years ago, a 1.0 mL blood sample size was exceptionally good. But now, there's several meters which need less: although the BD is discontinued, the "Freestyle" needs only .03 mL, and the good Accu-Check models need only .06 mL. The Aviva and Contour are the "good" Accu-Check models, the other ones need more blood and don't have the wide range of testing temperatures which these new ones do.

Needing only 1/3 or 2/3 as much blood is a win for comfort. The two other advantages of One-Touch have been:

(1) the widest temperature range in the business, this is why I first started using it. Only One-Touch can test at 43 F, and it goes all the way up to 111 F. But the new Aviva/Contour strips are very close to this, and they need less blood.

(2) Good reliability and accuracy at high altitude, I live at 6000 ft and often travel even higher, many meters start to go "flakey" if you take them above 4000 ft or so.
- - - - -
Good temperature range, good high-altitude reliability. But the sample size is larger than the newest competitors, and the strips cost $$$$ (although the "superior" Aviva and Freestyle strips are also among the most expensive.)
For comfort, look at the CWD "sample size" chart and, among the choices which your Insurance covers, try to choose a meter on the LEFT side of the graph:
http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/d_0i_004.htm.

If you're choosing among Accu-Check models, note that the so-called "Active" isn't a good choice for active people: the temperature range is MUCH WORSE than the new Aviva, so if you're out skiing or hiking in the Grand Canyon sun, you'll have problems. (In skiing, you can use your body to warm it up and keep it "kinda" warm during the test. But outdoors in hot weather, if your meter refuses to test because it's "too hot", you're TOTALLY SCREWED.)

A year from now, this probably won't matter much: all diabetics with serious cases, who take their bG testing seriously, will be using continuous monitors... just like I do. :D

Kent T

11-24-2007, 12:41 PM

twodoor2

12-30-2007, 10:41 AM

The freestyle flash lite is very inaccurate from the two I've used.

The one-touch ultra-smart seems to be more accurate, and I like all the features that it tracks, exercise, stress, food, medicine (I wish pumps did that!!). It also seems better made than the freestyle flash, and the strips are easier to use.

The AccuCheck Aviva, in my case, is the most accurate, although it doesn't have all the bells and whistles as the one-touch ultra smart. It is our main meter, and I cannot find another meter with as much accuracy at this point. It is also made in Germany and not China like 99% of the other meters out there such as the one-touch and freestyle products. It's just a better made, and more accurate meter.

Now if they got rid of the coding/chip aspect of the accu check aviva, and gave it the features of the one-touch to record other variables, and a light like the freestyle, it would be almost perfect!!!

Jacob'sDad

01-11-2008, 06:20 PM

Hi,

I use the UltraSmart as my main meter. The logbook features are helpful and nice having around. I also download it to Animas EZ Manager + software with the data cable. LifeScan's customer service has been superb also. I really love their area representative. I usually don't have issues with getting blood properly. I just can't wait for a fine Continuous Glucose Monitor for my future. I am looking at getting a Dexcom 7.

Our Animas rep just sent us an Ultrasmart. My initial reaction is that we probably won't use it. It is big and has a lot of nice features but I don't know if we will use any of them. Currently I enter EVERY SINGLE BG check into Jacob's pump. Even if I checked him between meals and he was 100 I would still enter it in the pump and deliver zero units. That way all the info we need for EZ manager is in the pump. As far as I can tell there is nothing that I would download from the Ultrasmart that I haven't already downloaded from the pump.
Maybe I haven't explored all the features yet. I think I will give our Animas rep a call.

By the way, we also got a Wavesense Keynote meter for free along with 50 strips. So far I'm fairly impressed. I think it might be a better meter than the One Touch because it requires so little blood. It's accuracy seems to be at least as good as the One Touch if not better.

kajoeyla

01-13-2009, 09:59 AM

We LOVED the OneTouch UltraSmart!

We recently changed to Freestyle because my son (3) will begin using the OmniPod pump next week, and it used Freestyle strips. I wish that we were not using Freestyle however, as we have have 3 separate incidents of incorrect readings in the last week. Abbott (manufacturer) has replaced 2 meters in this time based off of readings in monitor).

I highly reccomend the One Touch Ultra Smart, as we never had this problem. There are also other good features such as averages, graphs and a huge memory of readings. I feel that it is a little bulkier, but WORTH it!

jb

Jacque471

01-18-2009, 02:21 AM

We just got 2 new One Touch UltraSmarts to replace the Ultra 2's we were using. I LOVE the ability to enter insulin and carbs into the meter. Normally I would download the meters, and sit at the computer for hours entering that information in from our written log into the One Touch Software. Now when I get home from work I go and enter the happenings of the day in just a few minutes and when I do my weekly downloads it is all there.

The main reason I wanted at least 1 was for when we were out so the meter in my purse could track everything. Once I saw all it could do I decided to replace both meters!

Kent T

07-03-2009, 11:46 PM

Update,

Insurance forced me to change meters. First tried Freestyle Freedom Lite. Several inaccurate readings forced me to look elsewhere. I wound up using an Aviva. I like the meter's accuracy. I wish there was data management like the UltraSmart and the old Accu-Chek Complete and the Animas EZ Manager Software would download this meter. As soon as insurance will let me, I will be switching to the Animas Ping and getting my strips for it's integrated meter from Animas. I am investigating getting One Touch strips with my pump supplies in the interim. Thanks for the Entering BG and Zero Bolus trick in the meantime with the ole reliable pump. I now have Accu-Chek Compass for downloading my Aviva. I continue to use it and feel comfortable with it. It's reliable and accurate. Customer Service is superb also.

SPICYSMOM

10-27-2009, 09:12 PM

Both the Ultrasmart - which I used for years - plus the current ping meter are great. What I like about both meters is that besides what I download on EZ Manager Max, I am able to pull up on my meter the average overall BG, or average breakfast (before and after), average lunch (before and after), average dinner (before and after) and night averages to write down just before I see the endo.

I also like that I can download to the One Touch software as well, which gives different graphs if I want them.

Good luck!

rachel20091982

11-04-2009, 10:33 AM

I reguarly use the MediSense Sof-Tact meter to test for low blood sugar, and have an Accu-Chek Complete for a backup.

Lately, I've had trouble getting enough blood to use the Accu-Chek Complete meter (I had to use it when the batteries in my Sof-Tact meter ran out recently). It take 2 good fingersticks to get enough blood to fill the strip, and its making my fingers sore!

I had seen the review on the One Touch UltraSmart in the CWD Products section, and it sounds like a good meter, but takes less blood.
Has anyone use this meter before and can tell me if they like it or not, and tell me more about the features? Thanks!

Jessie:)

I have used that meter. i loved the fact that you could put everything in their insulin doses and all. I no longer use it as my insurance doesn't cover one touch anymore. but i loved it i am now using the accu-chek complete. I stopped using it when i switched to pumping as my pump keeps track of all that stuff now

Snowbound

11-04-2009, 10:45 AM

We used the One Touch and still do as our backkup. I really like the design, and it's got a great case. The hard plastic meter holder is so much better than the plastic overly style and I really liked the fact that the strip sticks out beyond the edge of the case.

We got an ultra once from our pharmacist, but never used it.

We now use the Bayer Contour Link that came with the pump. I really like the small sample size it needs and the way it sends the result to the pump for calibrations, but I dislike everything else about it. The case doesn't hold his lancet device very well, it's got that plastic overlay holder and the test strip doesn't extend beyond the case edge.

It's user interface isn't very good. There really aren't any options when you turn it on manually. It defaults to showing his BG avg, not the last reading which caused some confusion for us at first.

I also had a hard time figuring out how to change the time on it. It took a couple of minutes of randomly pushing buttons until I got the right combination to put it into setup mode.