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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. speak for yourself by HBI · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The whole design of blood testers for glucose militates using them on the hands or fingers. After thousands of sticks, it hurts worse. I already have to give myself 5 needles a day for insulin in places with adipose fat layers, like the lower arm, top of thigh or my belly. Doing 5 more sticks for tests is just ...bullshit. I won't do it. Maybe once a day, if that. Give me a technology that makes it less painful and i'll use it. If I can use it on an area of my body that doesn't usually get stuck (ass cheek? side of thigh? Anywhere where there is muscle behind the skin?) the pain level will be less.

    --
    HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
  2. This could change clinics as we know them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    In many clincs there's staff who only draw blood - sure they may have to interact with a computer to see what amount of blood is required and how to store it [depening on the number and types of testing required] but the main role they have is to draw blood. They're phlebotomists and they've been trained to do it properly, to make sure the patient doesn't even feel discomfort, let alone any pain [if you feel more than a slight prick or get any bruising then you should consider getting treatment elsewhere].

    But if there is a safe way for patients to do it at home, without the need of medical staff or buildings, then the need for phlebotomists will have largely gone. Imagine being given a box with a dozen of these devices and told to draw your blood and send it off once a month, it's going to be far cheaper than having it done at a clinic.