FAQs

We recommend the following tips.

To get your blood flowing:

• Stay hydrated, dehydration concentrates your haemoglobin giving a reading higher than it really is.
• Wash your hands in hot water before your test until they are nicely warmed.
• Get moving, swing your arm, clenching and unclenching your hands into a fist.
• Keep you hand below your elbow, so blood naturally flows downward.

To improve accuracy:

• Make sure you hands are dry after washing so water doesn't mix with your sample
• Do not squeeze your finger, this pushes out interstitial fluid from your skin into the blood, diluting the sample and giving you a falsely low reading

Of course we hope that your results improve over time as you benefit from your prescribed medication, and as Luma helps you learn more about your day-to-day health.

While there will always be natural fluctuations in your results, if you find that your results are continuing to get lower over several measurements, we highly recommend contacting your doctor for treatment advice.

Results can vary due to a variety of factors:

Events such as your menstrual cycle will likely impact your haemoglobin levels, for example:

• Natural variations in haemoglobin concentration in different parts of your body (e.g. your right hand versus your left hand).
• Your position (whether you've been standing, sitting, or laying down).
• The time of day when you perform your test (morning vs. evening).
• Your levels of hydration at the time of taking your test.
• Even the altitude of your location can affect your results.

For best results, we advise that you perform all tests:

In the same position (seated or standing); having maintained this position for two to three minutes before using Luma to take a measurement.

At the same time of day (in the morning before breakfast is an ideal time to perform a test).

Medical research strongly indicates that a blood test using a 'capillary sample' (typically obtained from a finger) can differ slightly from one using a 'venous sample' (obtained through direct puncture to a vein with a needle; most often taken from your arm).

Your haemoglobin concentration can differ from one drop of blood to the next, so you can expect to see:

• A difference of up to 7% in results obtained from blood drawn from your arm.
• A difference of up to 3.5% in results taken from blood drawn from a finger prick.
  

Meaghan M. Bond Rebecca R. Richards-Kortum (2015) Drop-to-Drop Variation in the Cellular Components of Fingerprick Blood, American Society for Clinical Pathology.

The lancet you'll be using to take a sample will only cause a very small and quick stinging sensation when you prick your finger with it.

It's a very fine gauge needle that penetrates to a depth of 1.8mm. It is this depth because you only need one drop of blood to perform a test.

Top tip: It is best to use the sides of the tip of your finger to reduce any discomfort as there are less nerve endings there. We advise to prick the side of the 3rd or 4th finger of your non-dominant hand.

Here's some helpful advice from Luma about this:

• We recommend testing your haemoglobin levels at the similar times each week; preferably in the morning before you eat.
• Make sure you are hydrated, as dehydration will concentrate your blood and increase your haemoglobin count.
• Try to ensure you keep your position (i.e. sitting or standing) the same each week, to help reduce any variability in results. Aim to stay in this position for two or three minutes before testing (to allow your blood to settle after movement).

If you've missed your regular test, try to perform a test again as soon as possible; then revert back to your regular testing schedule.

If you have missed a full week of testing, just continue as normal in the week that follows.

Luma and your testing kits are designed to travel with you. The hard shell case will protect your device against knocks and scrapes during your travels.

Taking a flight somewhere? Remember to keep your Luma kit in your hand luggage if you're flying, as the extreme low temperatures experienced in aeroplane holds could damage your device.

Please also ensure that the device is kept dry during transit, as Luma is not waterproof.

Need more help? Book a live chat on the Luma website (www.lumahealth.uk), call +44 (0) 20 3020 0031 or email us at support@lumahealth.uk.

Generally speaking, Luma can be stored and transported at 0 to 50°C (32°F to 122°F). Minus temperatures could damage your Luma device. So if you're planning to travel by aeroplane, you must store Luma in your hand luggage, as the hold can get extremely cold.

Please contact the team at Luma for a replacement. Simply email us at support@lumahealth.uk with more details about what you need.

When charging your device, please use the cable and charger provided. Please ensure you charge from a wall socket, and not from your computer.

Please don't use other cables or outlets as this may cause damage to the device. Charging using cables or plugs that are not issued by Entia may have different charging specifications, which may cause damage to the Luma power supply and invalidate the Luma warranty.

No, the Luma device is not waterproof. Please be sure to keep Luma dry at all times, as water can damage the device.

You will periodically need to clean the device, we recommend cleaning if there is any staining on the optical unit or on the case.

Instructions for cleaning are present in the Luma instructions for use, starting on page 30.

• We recommend using an alcohol wipe, wet wipe or a tissue with mild soap to clean your device.
• To clean the optical unit, we recommend using a microfibre cloth. There should be no marks on the optical unit. Do not scratch the optical unit.

Luma contains a 4.2V Integrated lithium-ion rechargeable battery, at 6 watt hours. This means that it falls well within the flying restriction of 100 watt hours.

The dimensions of your Luma carry case is: W = 230 mm, L = 160 mm, H = 70 mm.

Each device weighs 585g (this includes the carry case weight).

It ranges between 5°C to 45°C (41°F to 113°F). Ensure to use the device in an environment which has a regular room temperature.