Babson Diagnostics Develops Hand-Warming Device for Capillary Blood Samples

Babson Diagnostics has completed validation testing for hand-warming technology designed to collect high-quality blood samples from a fingertip.
 
Warming the hand is a common way to aid blood collection from a fingertip. When Babson determined that off-the-shelf solutions would not meet the customer’s needs, the company pivoted to developing its own technology. The company worked with biomedical engineering experts who study the impact of heat on the human body in the design of therapeutic devices.

“The Babson Hand Warmer supports blood collection from the finger, providing simultaneous warming of the hand with collection to create a repeatable and more pleasant blood testing experience for the customer,” Babson Vice President of Research and Development Roy Barr said. “The device is another example of how BetterWay is putting the needs of the customer first.”
 
BetterWay reimagines blood testing by uniting Babson’s proprietary sample preparation and laboratory technologies with the BD MiniDraw Capillary Collection System, a new collection device that is the product of a strategic partnership between Babson and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company).¹ 

Part of its BetterWay blood testing ecosystem, the hand warmer is set for commercial launch this year. BetterWay aims to make blood testing easier and more accessible by using a pea-sized amount of blood collected from a finger to produce medically accurate results. BetterWay enables any trained healthcare worker to collect high-quality samples, allowing retail pharmacies to offer blood testing.
 
Babson collaborated with the University of Texas at Austin Department of Biomedical Engineering to develop designs for a hand-warming device. Babson was looking for an ergonomic product design and something easy to use in a retail setting. The device had to provide simultaneous warming of the hand with collection and could not impede access to fingers.
 
A team of UT students working with Professor Kenneth Diller created a working prototype, which Babson took to a professional engineering team to develop a production system. Babson performed a validation study with staff at pharmacy partners to meet the regulatory requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The device received overwhelmingly positive feedback from pharmacy staff trained as collection techs and the customers getting a BetterWay blood test.
 
The Babson Hand Warmer is listed as a Class II medical device with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Babson Diagnostics is licensed as a medical device manufacturer and distributor in Texas.
 
Austin, Texas-based Babson Diagnostics is a science-first healthcare technology company reimagining the diagnostic blood testing experience. Babson’s mission is to make routine blood testing less invasive, more convenient, and affordable.

Reference 
¹ BD, the BD Logo, and MiniDraw are trademarks of Becton, Dickinson and Company.