Combined strip and lancet holder

Tips, Tech & Gear DIY
1

The DIY Gear Cat was empty, so I figured I would get it started…

When I look at the things they make for diabetics to carry stuff around, I always think, “What about for the guys?”. Much of that stuff is so huge and can’t possibly fit in your pocket. I imagine even with a purse, some of that stuff is just too big. So I always make my own things to carry…

I started with 2 Blistex tubes. Chapstick would work fine too. I cut them to the correct size, one side is the lancet side, the other is the test strip side:

the two sides.jpg1123×431 137 KB

I used a lancet holder from an old lancing device and bonded the holder inside one of the tubes. (I only bonded the holder, not the lancet! I wanted to be able to replace the lancet).

Then I bonded the two sides together. I used JB Weld to hold the pieces together and an epoxy putty inside to separate the strip side and the lancet side, and to secure the lancet holder inside.

bonding.jpeg567×593 96.5 KB

Here is the lancet side. The lancet is held securely, but can be removed easily. It slips in and out of the lancet holder.

Here is the strip side. It holds over 25 strips!

I used a different color cap for the test strip side and the lancet side so you know which side you are opening (open the test strip side first, get the strip in place before jabbing :wink: ).

As you can see in the picture, I also roughed up one side and left the other side smooth. Why? So I could easily do it in the dark and feel which side I am opening. Easier if you are at the movies or eating dinner in a dark restaurant.

The whole thing when closed up with the caps on is less than 2.75 inches long, and only about 0.5 inches in diameter.

It is actually about the same size as a regular Blistex tube.

Finished:

The whole thing cost only a few dollars. It is water resistant (you can’t take it into the pool, but no problem being in the rain). It is extremely discrete. It is much smaller than those foolishly big test strip vials the strips come in. (Side rant! What is the deal with the test strip vials?!?! Why do they make them so big? )

Interested in making something like this? Happy to help. Just ask!

7 Likes
2

I love it. Have you ever had any trouble with strips going bad inside there? I notice that manufacturers strip vials seem to have a built in desiccant-- so does moisture ever cause the strips to spoil?

I have a diy project to share here soon too…

1 Like
3

I have never had a problem with strips going bad for the ones I use most - FreeStyle and ReliOn. In fact, at home I frequently have those strips just sitting outside and not had any problem with them.

The only ones I’ve had a problem with spoiling are those cheap ones I used by that Trividia company. Those seemed to go bad if you looked at them wrong. But the other ones are fine.

4

So, how do you change your lancet? ha ha ha

1 Like
5

Do you mean for this one I made?

It’s easy. I used a lancet holder from another device, and built it into the end. So it slips into and out of the lancet holder, just like on a normal lancing device.

6

So there’s no sprint device right it’s just set to the right depth to manually poke yourself?

7

This is just the manual one. The appeal is the small size and portability.

The one with the automatic lancing device is here:
https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/combined-strip-and-lancing-device/?source_topic_id=414

1 Like
8

:clap::clap::clap:

1 Like