A device that allows you to take blood samples every time

Anicet Mbida 06:51, March 20, 2023

The innovation of the day could avoid having us butchered in the emergency room. This is a device that allows you to succeed every time a blood test.

Sound familiar? ... The Emergency series. With the magic phrase as soon as a patient arrives: "We make him NFS, chemistry, iono and blood gas" You know what that means? Basically, it is a blood test with a little advanced analysis. The problem is that sometimes you have to do it several times. You are stung and repulsed because we cannot find the vein.

This happens especially since for blood gases, it is not in a vein that must be pricked, but in an artery. This is where we find the freshest blood, the one that comes from the heart. But the arteries are deeper. It is difficult to see them. So you have to look for them with your fingers. This is why, in 30% of cases, the doctor repeats it several times.

This game of hide and seek is now over. The startup Arterya has just developed a bracelet that projects on the skin the precise place where the artery of the wrist is located. As a result, more stress, more mistakes. The doctor will see exactly where to sting.

What does it look like, it's like X-rays?

No. It's much simpler. This works with a pulse sensor in the bracelet that can pinpoint the artery precisely and illuminate it with a laser.

Many medical procedures require injections in the artery: the famous blood gases, but also the placement of a stent or catheter. On average, we do one every 2 seconds in hospitals... with 30% error.

So you can imagine the ordeal for both doctors and patients.

Is it already available?

No, not yet. Because like any medical device, it must first pass a battery of tests before being approved. In any case, this is a first device of its kind. It's called the Blood'Up and it's a French technology, Caen to be precise. I hope it will arrive very soon in hospitals... If one day I have to be done "NFS, chemistry, iono and blood gas."