Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine is collaborating with Netherlands-based medical robotics company Vitestro to test whether automated blood draw devices can be a scalable solution for U.S. hospitals.
For decades, phlebotomists have handled diagnostic blood collection. However, with widespread staffing shortages in healthcare, hospitals and outpatient blood draw centers could benefit from automation, including Vitestro’s Aletta.
Aletta is a 5-foot device that uses infrared light to locate veins, cleans the patient’s arm with alcohol, and employs a Doppler ultrasound probe to select a vein and determine needle placement, according to the Chicago Tribune. The robot then inserts the needle, collects blood and applies a bandage.
Northwestern Medicine will participate in a multisite clinical trial evaluating Aletta’s performance and safety, according to a news release.
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