Bayer Contour USB Meter?

[stickboy]

Has anyone seen one of these yet?



When you plug it in 2 drives show up. One is 512MB in size and is empty. The other is 512MB in size and contains the install for their Glucose monitor software.

I am wondering if it is possible to modify the firmware on it and use the display for whatever you like.

Stickboy

[adafruit]

you would have to reprogram whater the microcontroller is. might not be easy...especially if its burned into ROM

[Entropy]

I don't think I've ever seen firmware updates released for bloodsugar meters, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's burned into ROM. Botched firmware updates might be an FDA certification issue and it is likely easier for a company to recall units and send out replacements than to have user-upgradable firmware. Keep in mind these meters use the same "give away the BANNED, sell the blades" business model as for printers and BANNED.

Also, in general, mucking with the firmware of a bloodsugar meter is a bad idea. You'd have a significant risk of throwing off its accuracy.

It's good to see a bloodsugar meter with USB now, the long product cycle time caused by FDA certifications means that new interfaces take a long time to show up - Accu-Chek didn't release an IrDA-enabled meter until IrDA was nearly obsolete and replaced by Bluetooth. Hopefully a USB-enabled variant of the Breeze 2 comes out soon... I will never go back to using a meter that isn't based on multistrip cartridges these days.

[pstemari]

I'm assuming stickboy wants to liberate these from the drudgery of taking glucose readings day in and day out.

If these are fairly cheap, it would be a great hacking platform. Remember CueCats?

[adafruit_support_bill]

I don't think I've ever seen firmware updates released for bloodsugar meters

Probably not consumer meters. Many of the hospital meters will check for an update every time they dock.

in general, mucking with the firmware of a bloodsugar meter is a bad idea

Hey, it pays the bills.