This allows blood to be collected for medical tests without a large needle. People with needle phobia in particular might benefit from the suction cup, as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) announced on Thursday. The researchers wrote in their study that blood samples are necessary for a full 70 percent of all medical decisions.
The blood collection device was presented in the specialist journal “Advanced Science”. The approximately two and a half centimeter large silicone suction cup is attached to the upper arm or back. Inside are a dozen tiny needles called microneedles. If the suction cup is pressed onto the skin, the needles puncture the skin. The negative pressure in the suction cup ensures that enough blood collects within a few minutes, which can then be used for diagnostic examinations.
Less blood, more accurate measurement
According to the researchers, less blood is obtained with the suction cup than with the classic blood collection with a needle on the arm, but significantly more than with a small prick in the finger. ETH said this would make diagnostic measurements more accurate. In addition, the suction cup is so easy to use that even people without medical training can use it.
The researchers see a possible application in the diagnosis of malaria. So far they have only tested their new device on pigs. According to the researchers, further tests are necessary before it is widely used in humans.
