August 17, 2015 | Instruments and equipment, Laboratory instruments and laboratory equipment, Laboratory news, Laboratory procedures, Laboratory pathology, Laboratory testing
       By placing this inexpensive single-use device, developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, on the arm or abdomen, patients can collect their own blood at home in minutes.
        For more than two years, the American media have been fascinated by Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes’ idea to offer patients in need of a blood test a fingerstick blood test instead of a venipuncture. Meanwhile, research labs across the country are working to develop methods for collecting samples for medical lab tests that don’t require needles at all.
        With such an effort, it can enter the market very quickly. This is an innovative needle-free blood collection device called HemoLink, developed by a research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Users simply place the golf ball-sized device on their arm or stomach for two minutes. During this time, the device draws blood from the capillaries into a small container. The patient will then send the tube of collected blood to a medical laboratory for analysis.
        This safe device is ideal for children. However, patients who require regular blood testing to monitor their health will also benefit as it saves them from frequent trips to clinical labs to draw blood with the traditional needle prick method.
        In a process called “capillary action,” HemoLink uses microfluidics to create a small vacuum that draws blood from capillaries through tiny channels in the skin into tubules, Gizmag reports. The device collects 0.15 cubic centimeters of blood, which is enough to detect cholesterol, infections, cancer cells, blood sugar and other conditions.
        Pathologists and clinical lab professionals will be watching the final launch of HemoLink to see how its developers overcome problems affecting laboratory test accuracy that can be caused by the interstitial fluid that often accompanies capillary blood when collecting such samples. How the lab testing technology used by Theranos can solve the same problem has been the focus of medical labs.
       Tasso Inc., the medical startup that developed HemoLink, was co-founded by three former UW-Madison microfluidics researchers:
       Casavant explains why microfluidic forces work: “At this scale, surface tension is more important than gravity, and it keeps the blood in the channel no matter how you hold the device,” he said in the Gizmag report.
       The project was funded by $3 million by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the research arm of the United States Department of Defense (DOD).
        The three co-founders of Tasso, Inc., former microfluidics researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (from left to right): Ben Casavant, Vice President of Operations and Engineering, Erwin Berthier, Vice President of Research and Development and Technology, and Ben Moga, President, in a coffee shop conceived the HemoLink concept. (Photo copyright Tasso, Inc.)
        The HemoLink device is cheap to manufacture and Tasso hopes to make it available to consumers in 2016, according to Gizmag. However, this may depend on whether Tasso scientists can develop a method to ensure the stability of blood samples.
        Currently, most blood samples for clinical laboratory testing require transport in the cold chain. According to a Gizmag report, Tasso scientists want to store blood samples at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for a week to ensure they are testable when they arrive at the clinical lab for processing. Tasso plans to apply for a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance by the end of this year.
        HemoLink, a low cost disposable needleless blood collection device, may be available to consumers in 2016. It uses a process called “capillary action” to draw blood into a collection tube. Users simply place it on their arm or stomach for two minutes, after which the tube is mailed to a medical lab for analysis. (Photo copyright Tasso, Inc.)
        HemoLink is great news for people who don’t like needle sticks and payers who care about lowering healthcare costs. In addition, if Tasso succeeds and is approved by the FDA, it could also provide people around the world – even in remote areas – with the ability to connect to central blood testing labs and benefit from advanced diagnostics.
        “We have compelling data, an aggressive management team and unmet clinical needs in a growing market,” Modja said in a Gizmag report. “Scaling home care with safe and convenient blood collection for clinical diagnosis and monitoring is the kind of innovation that can improve outcomes without increasing healthcare costs.”
        But not all stakeholders in the medical laboratory industry will be thrilled about HemoLink’s market launch. It’s a potentially game-changing technology for both clinical laboratories and Silicon Valley biotech company Theranos, which has spent millions of dollars perfecting the way it does complex blood tests from fingertip blood samples, USA TODAY reports.
        It would be ironic if the developers of HemoLink could resolve any issues with their technology, obtain FDA clearance, and bring to market a product within the next 24 months that eliminates the need for venipuncture and fingertip sampling. Many types of medical laboratory tests. This is sure to steal the “breakthrough thunder” from Theranos, which for the past two years has been touting its vision to revolutionize the clinical lab testing industry as it operates today.
       Theranos Selects Phoenix Metro to Plant Flag to Enter Competitive Pathology Laboratory Testing Market
       Can Theranos change the market for clinical laboratory testing? An objective look at the strengths, responsibilities and challenges that need to be addressed
        I don’t understand what’s going on here. If it draws blood through the skin, doesn’t it create an area of ​​blood, also called a hickey? The skin is avascular, so how does it do it? Can anyone explain some of the scientific facts behind this? I think it’s a great idea… but I would like to know more. Thanks
        I’m not sure how well this actually works – Theranos doesn’t release much information. Over the past few days, they have also received cease and desist notices. My understanding of these devices is that they use high-density “clumps” of capillaries that act like needles. They may leave slightly sore patches, but I don’t think the overall penetration into the skin is as deep as a needle (e.g. Akkuchek).