Table 2.

Features of the real-time continuous glucose monitoring systems (at the time of publication^†).

Feature	Abbott Free Style Navigator®	DexCom™ SEVEN® PLUS	Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm® Real-time Revel System or Guardian® REAL-Time
Range of glucose values	20–500 mg/dl	40–400 mg/dl	40–400 mg/dl
Update of glucose values	Every min	Every 5 min	Every 5 min
Sensor duration	Up to 120 h (5 days)	Up to 168 h (7 days) ‡	Up to 72 h (3 days) ‡
Sensor length, angle and gauge	6 mm, 90°, 21 gauge	13 mm, 45°, 26 gauge	12 mm, 45–60°, 23 gauge
Transmitter size	2.05″ × 1.23″ × 0.43″	1.5″ × 0.9″ × 0.4″	1.4″ × 1.1″ × 0.3″
Number of components to wear/carry	Receiver, transmitter (home glucose meter built in to receiver)	Receiver, transmitter and home glucose meter	Receiver, transmitter and home glucose meter
Warm-up period before glucose readings displayed	10 h	2 h	2 h
Required frequency of calibration	Four times at approximately 10, 12, 24 and 72 h after sensor insertion	Two times a day (every 12 h)	Two times a day (every 12 h)
Available alarms	High and low glucose alarms; projected high and low glucose alarms	High and low glucose alarms	High and low glucose alarms; predicted high and low glucose alarms; rate of change alarms
Glucose display graphs	2-, 4-, 6-, 12- and 24-h	1-, 3-, 6-, 12- and 24-h	3-, 6-, 12- and 24-h
Trending arrows	Yes	Yes	Yes
Capacity to enter events	Insulin, meals, exercise, health, other	Insulin, meals, exercise and health	Insulin, meals, exercise
US FDA approval status	Age 18 years and older with blood sugar testing using a home glucose meter	Age 18 years and older with blood sugar testing using a home glucose meter	Age 7 years and older with blood sugar testing using a home glucose meter

^†Changes and improvements to all devices are ongoing so the features may have changed since the time of publication.

^‡Users report longer wear times.