Devices & Diagnostics, Hospitals

‘Painless’ blood draw device using microneedles could be available in 2013

How much more likely would a diabetic be to check his blood sugar regularly, or […]

How much more likely would a diabetic be to check his blood sugar regularly, or a nervous patient to fulfill her doctor’s request for blood work, if there were no “ouch” factor involved?

Howard Weisman, the CEO of Seventh Sense Biosystems, said the painless blood draw system his company is developing could show us the answer as soon as late next year.

Seventh Sense’s touch-activated phlebotomy (TAP) device comprises microneedles that penetrate the uppermost layers of the skin, along with a proprietary microfluidic extraction mechanism that draws blood in a painless, one-step process and leaves a mosquito bite-sized impression in the skin. The device can be used by almost anyone, anywhere, which makes it scalable in clinical settings and for at-home routine management of people with diabetes or heart disease, Weisman said.

With the ongoing discovery of new blood tests that indicate kidney disease, cancer, depression, Alzheimer’s and more, the startup is looking at a sizable and growing market.

In its latest round of funding, Seventh Sense raised $750,000 from five investors, which brought its total to more than $10 million, not including the $3.28 million grant the company received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in December as part of the Grand Challenges in Global Health Initiative. Private investors include Flagship Ventures, Polaris Venture Partners and Third Rock Ventures.

Next on the agenda for the Massachusetts-based company is signing on a commercial partner to help develop the market globally, Weisman said.

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