CGM Frequently Asked Questions

The sensor is 5 mm in height and 35 mm in diameter and has a thickness of 2 quarters.¹

¹ Data on file. Abbott Diabetes Care

In a study conducted by Abbott Diabetes Care, mild skin irritations, such as erythema, bruising, bleeding, infection and papule were reported around the insertion site and adhesive area by a small number of subjects (8 out of 95 or 8.4%).¹

¹ FreeStyle Libre 14 day User’s Manual

Yes, the sensor is water resistant and will continue working as long as it is not submerged more than 3 feet or kept underwater longer than 30 minutes at a time.

The sensor is designed to provide accurate¹ glucose readings for up to 14 days.

¹ FreeStyle Libre 14 day User’s Manual

After 14 days of wear, the FreeStyle Libre 14 day reader notifies you that the sensor has ended and should be replaced with a new sensor.

If the sensor stops working due to extreme temperature the reader will display an error message. The sensor will resume recording glucose readings again once it is within the temperature range again.

The sensor is attached to the back of the upper arm with a simple, disposable device called an applicator. When the sensor is attached, a small (5mm) filament is inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad.

In a study conducted by Abbott Diabetes Care, 92% of patients surveyed (n=119) agree that it was painless¹ to apply the sensor.

¹ Haak, Thomas, et al. "Flash Glucose-Sensing Technology as a Replacement for Blood Glucose Monitoring for the Management of Insulin-treated Type 2 Diabetes: a Multicentre, Open-label Randomised Controlled Trial." Diabetes Therapy 8, no. 1 (February 2017): 55-73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13300-016-0223-6.

If there is bleeding that does not stop, remove the sensor and contact your health care professional.

Yes, there are several product options to help. Refer to the FreeStyle Libre 14 day Sensor Adhesion Guide.

Pull up the edge of the adhesive that keeps your sensor attached to your skin. Slowly peel away from your skin in one motion. Note: Any remaining adhesive residue on the skin can be removed with warm soapy water or isopropyl alcohol.

The FreeStyle Libre 14 day sensor automatically captures the glucose concentration in the interstitial fluid every minute. It also automatically records the glucose concentration every 15 minutes, storing that data in a rolling 8 hour log.

The sensor is working correctly if you can get a glucose reading after a 1 second scan. If you do not get a reading, please refer to your User’s Manual for further information on glucose error messages.

Some airport full-body scanners include x-ray or millimeter radio-wave, which you cannot expose your system to. The effect of these scanners has not been evaluated and the exposure may damage the system or cause inaccurate results. To avoid removing your system, you may request another type of screening. If you do choose to go through a full-body scanner, you must remove your sensor. The system can be exposed to common electrostatic (ESD) and electromagnetic interference (EMI), including airport metal detectors. You can keep your reader on while going through these. You can safely use your system at all times while on an aircraft.

No, the FreeStyle Libre 14 day reader may only connect to a single sensor. At the completion of the sensor-wear, a new sensor can be started.

A check sensor message may occur when the sensor tip may not be under your skin. Try to start your sensor again. If reader displays “Check Sensor” again, your sensor was not applied properly. Apply and start a new sensor.

The sensor stores up to 8 hours of glucose data. After 8 hours, the oldest data is overwritten by the most recent data. The reader will display a gap where the oldest data would have been.

If LO appears on the reader when users scan the reader over the sensor it means the reading is lower than 40mg/dL. If HI appears on the reader when users scan over the sensor it means the reading is higher than 500 mg/dL.

Yes, the reader can capture data from the sensor when it is held within 1.5 inches (4 cm) of the sensor.

During the 1-hour warm-up period, the sensor is acclimating to your body and no readings are available. After the warmup, you can obtain accurate¹ glucose readings for up to 14 days.

¹ FreeStyle Libre 14 day User’s Manual

Ascorbic Acid and Salicylic Acid may interfere with the sensor readings. Please refer to the FreeStyle Libre 14 day system User’s Manual for further details.

No. The FreeStyle Libre 14 day system does not have acetaminophen interference¹.

¹ Alva, Shridhara, Ting Chen, and Andrew Naegeli. "Acetaminophen Interference on ISF Based Glucose Monitoring Systems." Poster presentation presented at the Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD), Paris, France, February 15-18, 2017.