A Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) is an FDA approved device that continuously records glucose levels throughout the day and then downloads its data to an external computer for analysis at The Diabetes Center.

The process works in four simple steps:

• We insert a tiny sensor just beneath the skin of your abdomen
• A wire connects the sensor to the monitor that is the size of a regular pager. The system can record a glucose measurement every five minutes. You can wear it up to 72 hours. Fingerstick blood glucose readings are entered into the monitor for calibration. A diary of food eaten and medication taken is also entered as data.
• While wearing the sensor you push simple buttons on the monitor to mark the time of meals, exercise or any other events you want to remember. All this important data will show up on your computer graph after downloading at The Diabetes Center
• After three days, we remove the sensor and download the monitor data to a computer. You and your team can get a complete look at where your glucose levels have been and identify areas of improvement needed.

The CGMS can, for the first time, show you and your team exactly what is happening between fingersticks. You will have a detailed computer graph that shows what really happens when you sleep, exercise or take medication. The CGMS can take 280 blood sugar readings a day by monitoring your levels every 11 seconds and averaging them every 5 minutes.