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Needle-less blood sampling device invented
![](http://images.gmanews.tv/v3/webpics/v3/2015/04/2015_04_24_11_49_26.jpg)
There is hope for people who hate needles but need to have blood drawn: a startup company named Tasso, Inc. has developed a new device that can almost painlessly extract blood, and all you have to do is press it against your skin for two minutes.
How it works
A small sample of your blood flows into a sample tube attached to the device, drawn by a slight vacuum in the device itself. According to users, the entire process is almost entirely pain-free. Another benefit is that using open channels instead of closed channels simplifies manufacturing while cutting costs at the same time.
According to Ben Casavant, vice president and co-founder of Tasso, Inc., the technology they used in the device relies on microfluidics—the forces that govern the flow of tiny fluid streams. “At these scales, surface tension dominates over gravity, and that keeps the blood in the channel no matter how you hold the device,” Casavant said.
The other two founders of the company are Erwin Berthier (current head of research and development) and Ben Moga (current company president).
Wide uses
Tasso, Inc. is also currently developing a technique for taking blood samples for HIV diagnosis. Currently, their device can extract around 0.15 CC which is enough to test for cholesterol, cancer cells, blood sugar, and infection.
Currently the device is marketed towards people who needs to test their blood semi-frequently.
“We see our specialty as people who need to test semi-frequently, or infrequently, to monitor cancer or chronic infectious diseases, for example. Instead of buying a machine or expensive equipment, we ship you this device, you put it on your arm for two minutes and send it back to the lab,” said Casavant.
Tasso, Inc. will be sending its application to the Food and Drug Administration at the end of 2015, and the device might hit the market in 2016. — Bea Montenegro/TJD, GMA News
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