{"id":24594,"date":"2018-06-19T10:53:17","date_gmt":"2018-06-19T14:53:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/?p=24594"},"modified":"2022-03-16T10:55:42","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T14:55:42","slug":"automated-robot-speeds-up-blood-draw-and-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/automated-robot-speeds-up-blood-draw-and-diagnosis\/","title":{"rendered":"Automated Robot Speeds Up Blood Draw and Diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Researchers at Rutgers University have developed an <\/span>automated robotic device<\/span><\/a> that can quickly draw blood and provide diagnostic results. <\/span><\/p>\n

The device could improve workflow in health-related institutions, allowing practitioners more time to treat patients. <\/span><\/p>\n

A paper describing the device is published in the journal <\/span>Technology<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

“This device represents the holy grail in blood testing technology,” <\/span>Martin Yarmush<\/span><\/a>, Paul & Mary Monroe Endowed Chair & Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Rutgers and senior author of the study, said in a statement. <\/span><\/p>\n

Why it\u2019s important<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cDiagnostic blood testing is the most common medical routine performed in the world and forms the cornerstone of modern medicine,\u201d said Yarmush. <\/span><\/p>\n

In the U.S., blood tests are conducted 2 billion times a year and influence 80 percent of the medical decisions made in primary care and hospital settings, explained Yarmush. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, blood draw success rates depend heavily on practitioner skill and patient physiology, and diagnostic results are generated almost exclusively in centralized labs from large-volume blood samples using labor-intensive analytical techniques,\u201d said Yarmush. <\/span><\/p>\n

The miniaturized robot is extremely accurate, quick and convenient. <\/span><\/p>\n

How it works<\/b><\/h2>\n

The device comes equipped with three parts: a robotic venipuncture device, a sample-handling module, and a centrifuge-based blood analyzer.<\/span><\/p>\n

The venipuncture robot uses near-infrared and ultrasound imaging to confine blood vessels. It then uses an image analysis procedure to reconstruct the vessels in 3D, and finally is able to place a needle on the center of the target vein. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFollowing the robotically-guided venipuncture, the blood sample is then extracted and transferred to the analysis unit, which provides blood measurements on sample volumes of 25 \u03bcl using micro-centrifugation and optical detection,\u201d said Yarmush.<\/span><\/p>\n