Can I use a Coaguchek test strip with a different code chip?

[slipkid]

OK, this is probably a stupid question but I have a good reason for asking.

What exactly does the chip do? Can you use a chip with one code with strips of another code?

If the chip is only for checking an expiration date to prevent patients using expired strips then I don't see why I can't use strips with other ones close to the same expiration. But if there is something more to it, relating to timing of results/chemical reactions/God knows what with each set of strips & their corresponding chips then obviously it makes no sense to mix them like that.

Does anyone know the scoop?

 

[Agian]

There's only one way to find out. Try it and to hell with the consequences.

 

[slipkid]

There's only one way to find out. Try it and to hell with the consequences.

Well I'd rather not....

(1) ...waste my time if it is not kosher

(2) ...risk getting a wrong result if it is not kosher

(3) ...waste a strip if it is not kosher

(4) ...prick my fingers for nothing (if it is not kosher)


I guess you think you are making a joke but I'm not laughing. If no one has a real answer I guess I will just ask Roche.

Thought maybe someone up here might know and help out not just me but others as well that might run into this so I asked here.

 

[Warrick]

Hi I'm guessing its something that no one has attempted or they are just shy about it.....
I can only assume that the machine would't let you do the test , I think the chip is also something to do with the machine self checking/calibration but don't quote me on that.

I've read somewhere the strips use human blood product as the reagent inside them so perhaps this has a limited shelf life?
Hence they have an expiry for a good reason and might give you dodgy results...?? Not so good

I have riddled this one myself -what if I ever have unused strips after the expiry??
I came up with- if you change the date on the coaguchek machine so it still thinks that the date is in the range of the strips then theres no reason why the process shouldn't still work with the code chip for that batch of strips

I have never tried it but I can't see why it wouldn't work, but a kosher reading after the expiry... can't say for sure , think the longer they are out of expiry the more chance they could be dodgy, although I did find some strips have a 12 month expiry and some have a 15 month expiry, I'd guess thats a packaging thing, so if you have 12 month strips and its within 15 months then maybe they are ok

I can't imagine Roche would tell you to use expired strips whether they are good or not

 

[Warrick]

OK, this is probably a stupid question but I have a good reason for asking.

What exactly does the chip do? Can you use a chip with one code with strips of another code?

If the chip is only for checking an expiration date to prevent patients using expired strips then I don't see why I can't use strips with other ones close to the same expiration. But if there is something more to it, relating to timing of results/chemical reactions/God knows what with each set of strips & their corresponding chips then obviously it makes no sense to mix them like that.

Does anyone know the scoop?

Some answers from an older post on the same subject

http://www.valvereplacement.org/foru...rent-code-chip

 

[Agian]

I guess you think you are making a joke but I'm not laughing. If no one has a real answer I guess I will just ask Roche.

Thought maybe someone up here might know and help out not just me but others as well that might run into this so I asked here.

It was an answer, wrapped in attempted humour. If I thought you'd be offended, I wouldn't have said anything. All I meant is give it a go and let us know how it went. I apologise if my response was unacceptable.

 

[Agian]

I put in a chip that said 245 and a strip coded 289 and got a result.
Happy to say it was kosher and oi vey didn't appear on the screen.

 

[Superman]

I put in a chip that said 245 and a strip coded 289 and got a result.
Happy to say it was kosher and oi vey didn't appear on the screen.

But did you follow up by putting matching codes in and get the same result? Inquiring minds want to know!

Okay. You don’t have to.

 

[Superman]

Well I'd rather not....

(1) ...waste my time if it is not kosher

(2) ...risk getting a wrong result if it is not kosher

(3) ...waste a strip if it is not kosher

(4) ...prick my fingers for nothing (if it is not kosher)


I guess you think you are making a joke but I'm not laughing. If no one has a real answer I guess I will just ask Roche.

Thought maybe someone up here might know and help out not just me but others as well that might run into this so I asked here.

I would fully expect the official Roche answer to be matching numbers only. With that, the only way to know for sure is to waste strips yourself or hope someone else will, as Agian has graciously done.

My my response to Agian was somewhat tongue in cheek, but it is a real weakness in just testing one way without immediately following up with the correct way.

 

[QuincyRunner]

I once ordered some Coaguchek strips from a company on-line and the chip was missing from the package. Rather than make a stink about it I just used the strips with the existing chip in my machine from the last batch and they worked fine.

 

[Agian]

But did you follow up by putting matching codes in and get the same result? Inquiring minds want to know!

Okay. You don’t have to.

Ah crap, I should have done that.

 

[Warrick]

Whats the point of the different chips then if it works with any strips??

 

[pellicle]

Whats the point of the different chips then if it works with any strips??

I think that the point is that they don't "work with any strip" ... but perhaps similar batches .. however as far as I understood they contained correction information for the specifics of that "batch" of reagents to ensure full and proper compliance with the ISI standard. So while you may get a reading and while it may indeed be close on any given instance, don't bet on it.

use the strips with the matching chip and breath easy.

 

[Warrick]

I think that the point is that they don't "work with any strip" ... but perhaps similar batches .. however as far as I understood they contained correction information for the specifics of that "batch" of reagents to ensure full and proper compliance with the ISI standard.
.

thats what I initially thought too

 

[Agian]

I think that the point is that they don't "work with any strip" ... but perhaps similar batches .. however as far as I understood they contained correction information for the specifics of that "batch" of reagents to ensure full and proper compliance with the ISI standard. So while you may get a reading and while it may indeed be close on any given instance, don't bet on it.

use the strips with the matching chip and breath easy.

 

[pellicle]

Where did you get my picture?

 

[pellicle]

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=w9SWB1usr0M[/video]
stick with science

 

[slipkid]

It was an answer, wrapped in attempted humour. If I thought you'd be offended, I wouldn't have said anything. All I meant is give it a go and let us know how it went. I apologise if my response was unacceptable.

No problem, but thx for the apology.

Anyway guys, I called Roche and got some answers.

The chips are designed to match their respective batch of strips, they are more than just expiration date-checkers, and strips should not be used with different code chips because the meter could give wrong results.

The reason I was asking about this is because I just switched to Roche's testing service from a different vendor (both using CoaguChek XS meters), and still had some unused strips left I was intending to use, but when I returned my other CoaguCheck XS unit I forgot to remove the code chip for those chips. Doh! So I wanted to know if I could use different chips with those strips (note the strips have no expired yet).

One cool thing about talking to Roche about this is that they have extra chips matching my unused strips and are going to send me one for those free of charge! That is very nice of them. It would be a shame to have to toss these unused ones (which don't even expire for another 10 months or so).


On another note, I did a comparison check of my new meter with a labdraw yesterday and the meter result was .3 higher (2.4) than the labdraw (2.1). I had a similar experience with this when doing a comparison about a year ago with my old meter which I think I asked about in another thread. I talked to Roche about this and sounds like discrepancies like this are common - depends on the reagent method used by the lab, and supposedly you can even get different results yourself if testing two different fingers just a few minutes apart. This is something I will discuss more with my doctor as far as what he wants to go by.

 

[slipkid]

It was an answer, wrapped in attempted humour. If I thought you'd be offended, I wouldn't have said anything. All I meant is give it a go and let us know how it went. I apologise if my response was unacceptable.

No problem, but thx for the apology.

Anyway guys, I called Roche and got some answers.

The chips are designed to match their respective batch of strips, they are more than just expiration date-checkers, and strips should not be used with different code chips because the meter could give wrong results.

The reason I was asking about this is because I just switched to Roche's testing service from a different vendor (both using CoaguChek XS meters), and still had some unused strips left I was intending to use, but when I returned my other CoaguCheck XS unit I forgot to remove the code chip for those strips. Doh! So I wanted to know if I could use different chips with those strips (note the strips have no expired yet).

One cool thing about talking to Roche about this is that they have extra chips matching my unused strips and are going to send me one for those free of charge! That is very nice of them. It would be a shame to have to toss these unused ones (which don't even expire for another 10 months or so).


On another note, I did a comparison check of my new meter with a labdraw yesterday and the meter result was .3 higher (2.4) than the labdraw (2.1). I had a similar experience with this when doing a comparison about a year ago with my old meter which I think I asked about in another thread. I talked to Roche about this and sounds like discrepancies like this are common - depends on the reagent method used by the lab, and supposedly you can even get different results yourself if testing two different fingers just a few minutes apart. This is something I will discuss more with my doctor as far as what he wants to go by.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

Anyway guys, I called Roche and got some answers.

The chips are designed to match their respective batch of strips, they are more than just expiration date-checkers, and strips should not be used with different code chips because the meter could give wrong results.

which matches what I said in my post:

I think that the point is that they don't "work with any strip" ... but perhaps similar batches .. however as far as I understood they contained correction information for the specifics of that "batch" of reagents to ensure full and proper compliance with the ISI standard. So while you may get a reading and while it may indeed be close on any given instance, don't bet on it.

use the strips with the matching chip and breath easy.

The reason I was asking about this is because I just switched to Roche's testing service from a different vendor (both using CoaguChek XS meters), and still had some unused strips left I was intending to use, but when I returned my other CoaguCheck XS unit I forgot to remove the code chip for those strips. Doh! So I wanted to know if I could use different chips with those strips (note the strips have no expired yet).

extra information in the question likethis could have led me to suggest that you ring Roche for exactly this:

One cool thing about talking to Roche about this is that they have extra chips matching my unused strips and are going to send me one for those free of charge! That is very nice of them. It would be a shame to have to toss these unused ones (which don't even expire for another 10 months or so).

As it happens I thought your smart arse answer to Agian was unwarranted, so perhaps you may feel inclined to do as Agian did. This isn't your professional information board and we all have moments where we kid around. We are after all people not staff.

On another note, I did a comparison check of my new meter with a labdraw yesterday and the meter result was .3 higher (2.4) than the labdraw (2.1). I had a similar experience with this when doing a comparison about a year ago with my old meter which I think I asked about in another thread. I talked to Roche about this and sounds like discrepancies like this are common - depends on the reagent method used by the lab, and supposedly you can even get different results yourself if testing two different fingers just a few minutes apart. This is something I will discuss more with my doctor as far as what he wants to go by.

exactly, and I've posted on that here extensively ... for instance:

http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...952-coaguchek-xs-vrs-the-lab-someone-is-wrong

which contains the following Roche Publication