Would you let a robot draw your blood? Northwestern among health systems trying new device

Several health systems across the U.S.—including Northwestern Medicine—are gearing up to try a new way of drawing blood: using a robot.

Northwestern is among several health systems that have agreed to be part of a clinical trial of a device that automates blood collection. Northwestern and the company behind the device say it has the potential to make blood draws more efficient, while helping health systems deal with a shortage of phlebotomists, who are people trained to collect blood samples.

"This all ensures high accuracy and high reliability, and with such precision it reduces any pain and discomfort associated with a normal blood draw," said Bob Gerberich, chief commercial officer for North America for Vitestro, the Netherlands-based company that makes the device, which is called Aletta.

Here's how it works: The patient sits in a chair by the five-foot-tall Aletta device, and places an arm on a sloped armrest that's part of the device. The patient then presses a start button, and a tourniquet tightens around the patient's arm, above the elbow, to make the blood draw easier.

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Would you let a robot draw your blood? Northwestern among health systems trying new device

The practice of drawing blood has changed very little over the decades. It looks about the same now as it did 50 years ago.

medicalxpress.com

 

[Andy C]

Several health systems across the U.S.—including Northwestern Medicine—are gearing up to try a new way of drawing blood: using a robot.

Northwestern is among several health systems that have agreed to be part of a clinical trial of a device that automates blood collection. Northwestern and the company behind the device say it has the potential to make blood draws more efficient, while helping health systems deal with a shortage of phlebotomists, who are people trained to collect blood samples.

"This all ensures high accuracy and high reliability, and with such precision it reduces any pain and discomfort associated with a normal blood draw," said Bob Gerberich, chief commercial officer for North America for Vitestro, the Netherlands-based company that makes the device, which is called Aletta.

Here's how it works: The patient sits in a chair by the five-foot-tall Aletta device, and places an arm on a sloped armrest that's part of the device. The patient then presses a start button, and a tourniquet tightens around the patient's arm, above the elbow, to make the blood draw easier.

More

Would you let a robot draw your blood? Northwestern among health systems trying new device

The practice of drawing blood has changed very little over the decades. It looks about the same now as it did 50 years ago.

medicalxpress.com

No chance a robot is drawing my blood.

 

[LightOfMyLife]

No chance a robot is drawing my blood.

Things are going too far really getting out of hand. No robot drawing my blood either.

 

[1LoverofGod]

Everything is moving to A I everything.

A I Doctors and nurses and phlebotomists.
A I companions
A I pets
A I nannies
A I military defense
A I lawyers
A I newscastors
A I teachers
A I god

Name it it's going A I

But God is The
I Am.

 

[1LoverofGod]

I wouldn't trust a bot taking my blood.
However a couple of years ago I was in the ER and a nurse came into the exam room where I was waiting to see the doctor.
This nurse wanted to draw some blood.
I was fine with it
But I immediately told her which vein is a good one to draw from because I have tiny and squiggly veins and many who have drawn blood have said that I am a "hard stick" and would poke me multiple times before getting a vein to take blood from.
Because I don't like being stuck multiple times I already know which vein has been good at the first stick and is why I told this nurse to use that one.
She got really offended and said
"Are you telling me how to do my job?".
I said no, just saying I know what vein is a good one because I don't like being poked a lot.
Then she really got mad and she yanked off her gloves and through them across the room, missing the trash can.
As she stormed out of the exam room she said
" You can just wait for the doctor to draw your blood then!"
I was like

Nurses like this need a different career IMO.

 

[Margery]

Heheheh I'm going to stir things up

I would.



and here's why. I used to put in IVs etc. I used to be reasonably good, but even I occasionally had to get the guy downstairs in Emerg who could find veins where none existed.

Most hospitals here in BC no longer bother with a specialist like they do in the States whose entire job is getting that vein. Too spendy for our cheapskate system. So everyone and their uncle stabs the patients and some are better than others. (Lab techs are pretty good, not talking about them).

If a robot is used, chances are they are using one of the new Infra red detection machines that are used in high tech fancy shmancy hospitals elsewhere- or so I've heard rumoured.

If they are using infra red to spot veins they are way ahead of the average person, and maybe even way ahead of the guy (coincidentally named George) down in Emerg

There's been a couple of times in hospital for surgeries where I've had to give tips to the poor harried RN trying to get that IV in me under time pressure. Something like this would make life as an RN and life as a patient somewhat better.

But remember I'm also the one who likes Siri on my iPhone, Alexa on my kitchen counter and Rommy the Roomba vacuuming my floors. I'm your sucker for all things robotic.

Except that laser wielding robot that supposedly kills weeds. That one scares me a little.

 

[1LoverofGod]

Heheheh I'm going to stir things up

I would.



and here's why. I used to put in IVs etc. I used to be reasonably good, but even I occasionally had to get the guy downstairs in Emerg who could find veins where none existed.

Most hospitals here in BC no longer bother with a specialist like they do in the States whose entire job is getting that vein. Too spendy for our cheapskate system. So everyone and their uncle stabs the patients and some are better than others. (Lab techs are pretty good, not talking about them).

If a robot is used, chances are they are using one of the new Infra red detection machines that are used in high tech fancy shmancy hospitals elsewhere- or so I've heard rumoured.

If they are using infra red to spot veins they are way ahead of the average person, and maybe even way ahead of the guy (coincidentally named George) down in Emerg

There's been a couple of times in hospital for surgeries where I've had to give tips to the poor harried RN trying to get that IV in me under time pressure. Something like this would make life as an RN and life as a patient somewhat better.

But remember I'm also the one who likes Siri on my iPhone, Alexa on my kitchen counter and Rommy the Roomba vacuuming my floors. I'm your sucker for all things robotic.

Except that laser wielding robot that supposedly kills weeds. That one scares me a little.

Some hospitals don't have the technology that helps with locating good veins because maybe they don't want to spend the money on it or just don't keep up with newer helps as quickly as others hospitals do
One hospital that I have gone to at times used an ultra violet light to shine over the areas for a prospective vein and that ultra violet light will detect a good vein.
But that's the only hospital in this area that uses it.

 

[Tall Timbers]

I get nervous with the tourniquet thingies that inflate themselves to take blood pressure. I can't tell you how many times those things have malfunctioned on me and squeezed my arm until it felt like it was gonna fall off. "Excuse me, but I think this thing is malfunctioning... it really hurts". That's me trying to be nice. The Tech deflates it and then starts over. I wonder what that did to my blood pressure just before it was taken...

 

[Margery]

I get nervous with the tourniquet thingies that inflate themselves to take blood pressure. I can't tell you how many times those things have malfunctioned on me and squeezed my arm until it felt like it was gonna fall off. "Excuse me, but I think this thing is malfunctioning... it really hurts". That's me trying to be nice. The Tech deflates it and then starts over. I wonder what that did to my blood pressure just before it was taken...

It raises it a bit. This gal is a young specialist in eastern Canada, I remember watching this from her channel (I've watched her since med school off and on) and she tackles the biggest mistakes in BP measurements, whether you take your own, or someone does it for you - YouTube

I thought she did well. Covered a lot of the things from not talking, (that jacks it up 5-10 points) and the difference between your sides. One side is always higher.

I can't remember if she covered it but painful over inflation of the cuff does bring it up temporarily. Usually with an automated machine, whose last reading was on someone with very high bp.