TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — Bayer’s Contour USB blood glucose meter has received a silver Medical Design Excellence Award, which recognizes excellence in medical product design and manufacturing.

Bayer Diabetes Care, part of Bayer HealthCare’s Medical Care Division, said the Contour USB meter won the award in the in-vitro diagnostics category, one of 10 categories for the Medical Design Excellence Award, sponsored by the specialist journal Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry.

The Contour USB meter, which Bayer said is the first blood glucose monitor with plug-and-play diabetes management software, was recognized for its innovation and user-friendly operation. The Bayer product development team was presented with a trophy at an awards ceremony in New York City during the Medical Design & Manufacturing East Conference and Exposition.

"Winning a Medical Design Excellence Award is quite an honor," commented Rick Kates, global senior director for digital health at Bayer, who led the Contour USB development team. "We’re gratified that the innovation and hard work that went into bringing this product to life has been so richly recognized."

With the Contour USB meter, up to 2,000 stored blood glucose measurements can be transferred via the device’s USB interface that plugs directly into a computer. The measurements then can be displayed in graph or table form using the integrated GlucoFacts Deluxe diabetes management software, which provides diabetes patients and health care professionals with access to blood sugar data and trends to help optimize diabetes management.

"I like its light weight, the design and the way that the information can be read out," stated Dr. Denise Korniewicz, one of the award judges and professor and senior associate dean at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies. "Visually, Contour USB’s glossy black design also marks the beginning of a new, stylish and elegant generation of blood glucose meters. With its slim line shape, rounded contours and light weight, it is a stylish and modern device."