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New Sampling Device Promises To Make Blood Tests Needle-Free

Posted by timothy on from the dracula's-little-friend dept.

Zothecula writes: Though the pain they cause is minor and fleeting, a lot of people still find something pretty unsettling about needles. When it comes to conducting a routine blood test, US-based company Tasso Inc. believes that these unpleasant pricks can be removed from the equation completely. Its ping pong ball-sized HemoLink blood sampler can be operated by the patient at home, and needs only to be placed against the skin of the arm or abdomen for two minutes to do its job.

2 of 34 comments (clear)

  1. Old Idea by cheesybagel · · Score: 3, Informative

    There are plenty of devices which draw blood or fluids via suction. One example is the GlucoWatch:
    http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevi...

    The problem with these devices is that they often cause skin lesions, bruising, and pain. I would rather stick with the needles.

    1. Re:Old Idea by Anubis+IV · · Score: 3, Informative

      In the case of GlucoWatch, the page you linked indicates that it's used for up to 13 hours at a time, taking samples every 10 minutes. In contrast, this device can only do one sample at a time, after which you send it off to a lab for testing. They're targeting patients who may need to monitor cancer or infection on an infrequent basis with a turnaround of a few days, as opposed to people who need immediate blood measurements, such as diabetics monitoring their blood sugar levels.

      I don't know enough to suggest that that addresses your concern, but at the very least it would seem to lessen the chances that the problems associated with long-term use would occur.