Zurich researchers have developed a suction cup for taking blood samples
Published: Thursday, May 2nd 2024, 10:31
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Inspired by leeches, researchers in Zurich have developed a suction cup for blood collection. This allows blood to be collected for medical tests without a large needle.
People with needle phobia in particular could benefit from the suction cup, as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) announced on Thursday. This is because blood samples are necessary for as many as 70 percent of all medical decisions, the researchers wrote in the study in the journal "Advanced Science", in which they presented their blood sampling device.
The silicone suction cup is around two and a half centimetres in size and is attached to the upper arm or back. It contains a dozen tiny needles, so-called microneedles. When the suction cup is pressed onto the skin, the needles puncture the skin. The negative pressure in the suction cup ensures that sufficient blood collects in it within a few minutes, which can then be used for diagnostic examinations.
Tested on pigs
According to the researchers, less blood is collected with the suction cup than with a traditional blood collection using a needle on the arm, but significantly more than with a small prick in the finger.
According to the ETH, 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, however, they have only tested their new device on pigs. According to the researchers, further tests are needed before it can be widely used in humans.
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