"We incorporated the blood glucose monitoring technology from our popular FreeStyle monitor into a module for the Handspring Visor PDA," said Mark Lortz, president and CEO of the TheraSense.

Joining other Handspring HAND.O add-on devices such as a digital music player and a mobile phone, the FreeStyle Tracker Diabetes Management System enables patients to do the following:

• Test for glucose levels and get a read-out on the PDA screen
• Graph and chart the results over time
• Review carbohydrate food lists to track their food intake
• Create reminders about testing or dietary choices

For doctors, the system provides an accurate time-stamped progression of the patient’s glucose levels as well as patient-entered events and data that affect their diabetic health, thereby enabling doctors to tailor future treatments to meet the specific needs of the patient.

When asked how the diabetic patient will benefit from TheraSense’s latest product, Lotz said, "Our hope is that FreeStyle Tracker will reduce the pain of diabetes management much like the FreeStyle system reduced the pain of glucose testing."