Google patent hints at needle-free blood drawing device

Google has filed for a patent that allows blood to be drawn without using any needles. According to the patent, the device could send an abrupt surge of gas that will provide enough momentum to pierce leading to ‘micro-emergence’ of blood into the barrel.

The patent reads, " A device can include an evacuated negative-pressure barrel with a membrane sealing an aperture at a distal end, and housing affixed to a proximal end. An accelerator barrel can be positioned within the negative-pressure barrel and fixed to the housing, with an open proximal end in a chamber in the housing, and an open distal end aligned with the aperture. The chamber can be filled with pressurised gas, and a trigger valve can hydrostatically separate the chamber from the open proximal end of the accelerator barrel."

“A micro-particle positioned within the accelerator barrel can be accelerated to high speed by an abrupt surge of gas by releasing the trigger valve. The micro-particle can attain enough momentum to pierce the aperture membrane and penetrate adjacent dermal tissue. A resulting micro-emergence of blood can be drawn into the negative pressure barrel,” the further description in the patent states.

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If it materialises into reality, diabetics can get an alternative to the finger pricking method used for glucose tests. Also, considering how the new-age gadgets come with pressure ad heartbeat monitoring methods, this can make it further easy.

Google has stay tight lipped about the patent. In fat, when asked by TheVerge, the search giant replied, “We hold patents on a variety of ideas – some of those ideas later mature into real products or services, some don’t. Prospective product announcements should not necessarily be inferred from our patents.”