The TAP Integrated Capillary Blood Collection System

Abstract

T he drive for health care providers to streamline workflow, improve efficiency, and reduce costs has never been greater. At the same time, the trend toward decentralized health care is accelerating, most notably within consumer-focused care across all settings. The result is an emerging demand for rapid, reliable blood collection and diagnostic capabilities both inside and outside traditional clinical settings to improve access to high-quality diagnostic information. So far, however, much of the transition has been slowed by the limitations inherent in phlebotomy and finger-stick sampling. Both require trained personnel, involve multiple steps, disrupt workflow, and are the primary source of preanalytical errors in diagnostic testing. Worse, these methods are inconvenient as well as create anxiety and discomfort for patients. It is estimated that at least 10% of the US population suffer from needle phobia, and the number is reported to be much greater as sufferers tend to avoid medical treatment altogether. This is a significant impediment to a patient's ability to access the health care system. To address the limitations of both venipuncture and fingerstick sampling, Seventh Sense Biosystems set out to create a blood collection device that can be easily self-administered and is a painless method for collecting blood both within and outside traditional health care settings. Seventh Sense's TAP platform is designed to address theworkflow and quality challenges; facilitate the shift to decentralized, self-administered blood collection; and most importantly expand the reach of blood-based diagnostics to those who need it.