LIVINGLIVING
KIT THAT'S COMING SOON...
DEXCOM G6
The next generation of Dexcom sensor
builds on the company's existing CGM
capabilities.
It is being argued that Dexcom's
latest G6 sensors could convert
CGM unbelievers into believers.
Due to arrive in the UK in the
next few weeks, the company
believes it will help diabetics to rediscover
'letting go' through a process of learning
to trust the technology. After all, you trust
your meter, don't you?
The latest developments will simply
take blood testing out of the equation
as the sensor no longer even needs
calibrating. However, blood testing will
always be there as a safety net; you can
always check your glucose level with a
blood test anyway, or learn to let go slowly
by twin-tracking testing and CGM until
you trust it. But ultimately it means you
should have one less thing to do.
It's widely said that Dexcom CGM
holds the ground on accuracy in this
very specialised arena. Jake Leach is
the senior vice president of research and
development projects for Dexcom Ltd
and has been with the company since
2004. He says "The G6 will be unrivalled
for accuracy and length of sensor wear,
with an improved performance and no
calibration required. We are introducing
Donevia sensor membrane technology
and using adhesive materials that are
similar to those used for wound healing
and therefore should be more comfortable
to wear the people diabetes. We've also
improved on the algorithm which in turn
explains the improvement and accuracy."
The new sensors in the G6 series will
last for 10 days. The transmitter itself is
smaller, being 30% thinner, and will last for
three months without requiring charging,
and the applicator is completely new and
much easier to use. There are fewer steps
to complete the insertion process too.
Says Leach, "It's fast, easy and you don't
feel it at all, plus it's over quickly. By using
the new Donevia membrane technology
there's been an improvements in the
stability of the sensor signal as well as a
reduction in what we call 'sensor noise',
which is basically interference that is not
about glucose itself."
In touch
The system receiver has also undergone
improvements, while there's also the
option to see CGM results on an Apple
watch via an app. The touchscreen
receiver includes alerts, but these are
more customisable so they can be much
more personal. It's possible to set up
alerts specifically for certain periods such
as weekends or for a specific activity.
The point of this is so that wearers do
not have to experience 'alarm fatigue'. In
addition we've added in a new glucose
alert, 'urgent low soon'. For examples if
you took too much insulin at dinner and
alerts only five minutes before going low
The G6 will be unrivalled for accuracy and
length of sensor wear, with an improved
performance and no calibration required."
might not be enough, so the new alert
gives the user more time to react. You can
also set up alert schedules, which offsets
of alarms during specified time Rangers
which are also customisable.
"The new algorithm eliminates the
need for calibrations," explains Leach,
"But users can put them in if they want
to otherwise the sensors are factory
calibrated. We have also addressed
the fact that in previous generations of
sensors wearers sometimes experienced
a modicum of variability on the first day of