new devices will allow patients to test blood sugar from their arm, abdomen, or thigh

Several new devices will allow patients to test blood sugar from their arm, abdomen, or thigh...instead of their fingers.

Until now, patients had to prick their fingers to get enough blood for traditional strips and meters. The fingers have more capillaries and provide more blood...but they also have more nerve endings that can result in more pain.

The AtLast and FreeStyle meters give accurate readings with much less blood. In fact, FreeStyle uses only one-tenth the usual amount of blood...0.3 microliters or about the size of a pinhead.