Blood collection for Biomarker and assays from humans has been done since many decades and the usual method has been the syringe for large volumes and a needle prick for smaller volumes. Very rarely has there been any major changes in this area. However one company is hoping to change that…They have a small device that is capable of drawing about 0.1ml of blood from a region of the body that is lower number of pain neurons and draw is accomplished by the press of a button.
Here are some of the characteristics from their website:
• Lithium heparin
• Blood indicator window
• Approximately 1.5 inches in diameter, about the size of the bell of a stethoscope
• Single-use – no ability to reuse, needles are secured in device
• Ability to add future accessories, e.g. connectivity, additive array, sample separation, and dried blood spots
Innovative!
This should enable the easy collection of small volumes of blood that is important for many biomarker PK/PD studies that require frequent sampling of blood.