Nueon Inc. (doing business as COR) has developed CORtest, a device that will draw samples of blood from the forearm, rather than the fingertip. CORtest is intended for frequent sampling, enabling daily sampling and facilitating the use of the vast amount of information available in blood for at-home health monitoring. The forearm is far less sensitive than fingertips, allowing for essentially pain-free blood draws. The CORtest combines the use of a standard lancet calibrated for forearm use, with a low-pressure suction chamber to draw blood out of the arm. A capillary tube then draws blood in using surface tension. The disposable cassette containing both the lancet and the capillary tube can then be removed and processed. The need for such a device became apparent during product development of a different product for at-home use of infrared spectroscopy to analyze blood, identify biomarkers, and monitor key health data. That product is intended for frequent use and is targeted for healthy people that want to monitor the impact of a new diet, workout regimen, or other lifestyle change.
