More lancet talk (Coaguchek Sofclix)

[mrcora]

I am trying to find lancets for my Coaguchek XS Softclix. I have other lancets that work but I'd like to have a restock for the Softclix. I am confused as to what fits it besides the company made Roche refills. They are very hard to find so I am wondering if any other company makes lancets that fit this device. If anyone knows where I can locate refills online, please advise. If there happens to be another type or model of lancet that will fit the device I can settle for that as well. I just want to make sure that they are 21G X 1.8mm. I think that's what the Sofclix uses. I currently have Testwell Choice Safety Lancets (21G x 1.8mm) and Accu-Check SafeT-Pro Plus which I believe are 23G.

Anyone know where I can find the Softclix refills?

 

[Chuck C]

what fits it besides the company made Roche refills. They are very hard to find

I'm not clear why you don't just order the ones made by Roche. The are very reasonably priced and easy to order on Amazon.

I recently purchased a box of 200 for about $10. That's only 5 cents each. See link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Accu-Chek-So...fix=accu-chek+softclix+lancets,aps,156&sr=8-5
Edited note: The disclosure about being an Amazon associate, see below, seems to have auto posted when I posted the Amazon link. I am not an Amazon affiliate. Perhaps VR is an affiliate and the disclosure is auto generated?

 

[Protimenow]

I'm not sure what benefit you'll be getting by using one brand of 21 gauge lancets vs. another. Your device should be able to adjust the depth of the incision, so the mm measure may be moot.

I used to have hundreds of generic 21 gauge lancets, but I've been using the single use 21 gauge lancing devices for the past few years. They're more expensive than the lancets that work with the Softclix, but they work well, I don't have to mess with inserting and ejecting lancets into a lancing device, and they're safe to throw away. They cost about $25/100 - a bit more than the lancets but I prefer these - easier to use, no hassle to dispose of, no messing with the small lancets and lancing device.

IIRC, Pellicle has been reusing the 21 gauge lancets for quite some time - but he can clarify this.

 

[pellicle]

@mrcora
Just to extend what Chuck has said here:

I'm not clear why you don't just order the ones made by Roche. The are very reasonably priced and easy to order on Amazon.

I recently purchased a box of 200 for about $10. That's only 5 cents each.

make sure you get the ones designed for the Coaguchek system, because Roche also sells blood glucose testing products and the "Softclix" is just the system for the bit you hold in your hand.
https://cjeastwd.blogspot.com/2023/06/inr-lance-sizes.html
some excerpts

 

[Protimenow]

There's one person here (and I won't embarrass him by mentioning his name) who got stuck with the 31 gauge lancets and made multiple incisions in order to get enough blood for testing. What you want is 21 gauge.

 

[Chuck C]

There's one person here (and I won't embarrass him by mentioning his name) who got stuck with the 31 gauge lancets and made multiple incisions in order to get enough blood for testing. What you want is 21 gauge.

Good point. The ones I purchased are 28 gauge. They fit in the Coaguchek Softclix, which came with my meter. 28 gauge has worked for me, but it would not be bad to have the 21 gauge. The 28 gauges has worked fine, but I do have to warm my hand up good in order to get a sufficient drop.

 

[Protimenow]

You can get a drop with 28 gauge, but I'll be that you have to set the depth near maximum and push on the lancing device to get a deep enough incision.

You may want to do like Pellicle does and wrap the fingertip above the knuckle with dental floss -- this will keep the blood in the fingertip and make it easier to get a large enough drop for testing.

You should be able to find 21 gauge lancets online - I even found some once discounted at a pharmacy (the buyer for the pharmacy might have screwed up and ordered the wrong gauge lancets).

They're out there, and you will probably have an easier time getting a good incision with the 21 gauge.

 

[Chuck C]

You may want to do like Pellicle does and wrap the fingertip above the knuckle with dental floss

I do currently use this technique.

 

[Protimenow]

This is probably why the 28 gauge work for you.

 

[Chuck C]

I am trying to find lancets for my Coaguchek XS Softclix. I have other lancets that work but I'd like to have a restock for the Softclix. I am confused as to what fits it besides the company made Roche refills. They are very hard to find so I am wondering if any other company makes lancets that fit this device. If anyone knows where I can locate refills online, please advise. If there happens to be another type or model of lancet that will fit the device I can settle for that as well. I just want to make sure that they are 21G X 1.8mm. I think that's what the Sofclix uses. I currently have Testwell Choice Safety Lancets (21G x 1.8mm) and Accu-Check SafeT-Pro Plus which I believe are 23G.

Anyone know where I can find the Softclix refills?

Per my previous reply, I had ordered replacement lancets for Softclix on Amazon. But, as @pellicle noted, I was using the 28gauge. I was not aware that 21gauge was the ideal size for the Coaguchek xs, in order to get a sufficient drop. This explains why it was a little challenging to get a large enough drop. I developed a routine in which I would do some push ups to get the blood flowing to my arms and hands and then keep my hand in warm water. Still the drop was often just barely large enough.

I tried to order 21 gauge replacement lances for Softclix on Amazon, but had no luck finding them- plenty of the smaller gauges, which I already had. However, I was able to find reasonably priced disposable 21gauge lances and ordered some. For 100 it is around $13, so that's only 13 cents each. They have been working well for me- much easier to get a sufficient drop size than the 28 gauge.

I linked the brand that I ordered below.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081FLM61N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[MdaPA]

I developed a routine in which I would do some push ups to get the blood flowing to my arms and hands and then keep my hand in warm water. Still the drop was often just barely large enough.

Have you seen pellicle's rubber band technique to help get a larger drop of blood?

https://www.valvereplacement.org/th...ng-the-roche-coaguchek-xs.888982/#post-922922

 

[Chuck C]

Have you seen pellicle's rubber band technique to help get a larger drop of blood?

Yes. That was also part of my routine. With a 28g lancet, even doing the push ups, hand in warm water and rubber band, it was not easy getting a proper size drop of blood. I managed, but also had an occasional error message from the drop being too small. With the 21g lancets, this has not been an issue at all, as I get a nice big drop. I do still warm my hand prior, but I may try doing it without the hand warming next time because with the 21g lancet, the drop is now so big that I'm concerned about bleeding out

 

[Protimenow]

For about 13 cents each, you can get the one time use lancing devices. I just bought a box of 100 21 gauge (x 2.4 mm - for a good sized drop) on Amazon for $12.95. To me, they're a lot easier than putting a lancet into the lancing device, lancing, then figuring out how to dispose of them safely.

These are easy to dispose of - the lancet retracts into the device.

I prefer using the one time use lancing devices - and at about the same price as just the lancets themselves, they're what I use.

 

[PhillyJohn]

I really prefer using the softclix device - other ones bruised the heck out of me for some reason, and are just less convenient to carry around. I finally found replacement coaguchek lancets on a Canadian site: https://store.whitecrossdispensary.com/products/roche-coaguchek-softclix-lancets-50-pack

Shipping was reasonable enough for international, and they arrived in less than a week.

 

[Chuck C]

I really prefer using the softclix device - other ones bruised the heck out of me for some reason, and are just less convenient to carry around. I finally found replacement coaguchek lancets on a Canadian site: https://store.whitecrossdispensary.com/products/roche-coaguchek-softclix-lancets-50-pack

Shipping was reasonable enough for international, and they arrived in less than a week.

Thanks for sharing this. All things being equal, I definitely prefer the adjustable depth of the Softclix. Just ordered a box of 50. $16 for shipping. Ouch!

 

[Habana58]

These are the ones i get; I also follow Pellicle's way attaching a dental floss, but important to Notice, "yesterday-mar-15-2024" my time , i talked to COGAGUCHECK support for another issue, they asked me how I take the test, she told me not to attach the dental floss but rather "STAND" so heart is higher than the hand, besides the wash with warm water and hands/arms movements; Will try next week friday that is my testing day; also although i did not ask, the CSR gave explanations why this machine is more reliable than a lab because of the time between blood collection at the lab and actual test; and that the machine will give you an error code IF it finds an error, (that is why i called), the machine gave me a rather high value "for me" 3.3, one hour later i was at the LAB to verify, LAB came back with 3.0; CSR told me she rather trusts our machine than the lab numbers, and that yes, they can differ on a 0.2/0.3 , but i tend to think that will end using the band; because in the past many times did not get enough blood.

 

[Protimenow]

I've tried a few lancing devices and, yes, some CAN cause bruising. The ones that caused the bruising were the pressure activated kind -- you have to press the device against the finger before it fires the lancet. The kind with a pushbutton to activate the lancet haven't caused me any bruising.

As far as 'trust the meter' - I'm convinced of this, too. Years ago, when Alere made the AWFUL InRatio tester (a tester which caused me to have a stroke), I called tech support and asked about differences between the meter and the labs, and their consistent answer was 'trust the labs.'

In the case of the Roche (and Coag-Sense) meters, the strips are carefully calibrated to the reagents on the strip. Roche and Coagusense have a LOT more to lose if thousands of the customers who buy and use their strips are injured by an inaccurate set of strips than a lab would be for a few erroneous results. The companies who make the strips HAVE to be AWFULLY sure that their strips will deliver accurate results. (And results are 'accurate' if they're within 20% of other tests - a lab result of 3.0 and a meter result of 3.3 should be considered accurate).

As far as labs go, I've had a handful of times with the lab 'results' were wildly inaccurate. Much of this is probably related to mishandling of the blood drawn. It may go into the wrong tube. It may be exposed to heat while it was waiting for the lab service to pick it up, or perhaps stored in a hot truck -- there are many reasons, aside from the speed between incision and testing, that can result in screwy lab results.

I trust my CoaguChek more than I do my Coag-Sense (which I've stopped using). And, yes, for results on the XS that are higher than about 3.6, there may be errors that are actually higher than actual values. (The last few times I used the Coag-Sense, the results were as much as 1.0 below the XS).

 

[Timmay]

I’m probably one of the rare people here that have tried just about everything. Disposable lances of various sizes. SoftClix lancets of various sizes. At one point I measured some of the options with my calipers (length and width).

I actually had a hard time for the first year of my blood draw journey. ALL of that changed when I swapped over to the yellow 21 gauge lancets for the SoftClix. I couldn’t find these anywhere except on EBay and got them from there. Yes, I’m well aware of the pellicle technique of wrapping. However, this doesn’t work that well when you have horrible blood flow in your extremities when you’re body is cold (hypothyroidism). So, like Chuck, I had my routine of warming up and getting the blood flow going.

The 21 gauge yellow lancets are the bomb. Why? Not only because they are 21 gauge, but also because they are tapered. This really allows you to achieve the perfect depth for drawing blood.

I still have to do a small squeeze of my finger to get my drop … but more often than not, I now have more blood than I need .

I highly recommend anyone having any issues to switch over to the SoftClix and the yellow 21 gauge lancets.

FWIW, I have small hands and soft hands . I use a 3 on my SoftClix. I test twice a week (Wednesday and Sunday). I pierce my fingers generally in order …

Left middle left
Left middle right
Left ring left
Left ring right
Left pinky right
Right pinky left
Right ring left
Right ring right
Right middle left
Right middle right.

This gives me 10 locations. That equals 5 weeks of testing before the same finger gets punctured again.

 

[3mm]

the pressure activated kind -- you have to press the device against the finger before it fires the lancet. The kind with a pushbutton to activate the lancet haven't caused me any bruising

I have had sporadic bruising, but it disappeared after a day or 2. However, the pressure activated lancets seem to never provide enough blood. I have much better success with the pushbutton lancets. I'm using the ACCU-CHEK SAFE-T-PRO PLUS lancets on the medium depth setting. A bit more expensive, but the lancet cost is minor compared to the Coaguchek test strip.

I've been washing my hands in very warm water and using a rubber string around my finger while the Coaguchek warms up. When the 180 second countdown starts, i remove the rubber string and use the lancet.

I plan to try exercising my hand with a gripper tool for a few minutes before testing; that should get blood flowing into the fingers.

 

[Chuck C]

I plan to try exercising my hand with a gripper tool for a few minutes before testing; that should get blood flowing into the fingers.

I find that doing a few sets of push ups really helps. Plus, you get the added benefit of doing regular push ups