Capillary and Venous Blood Sampling Devices Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases requiring frequent blood testing: Increased prevalence of diabetes, anemia, and cardiovascular diseases has increased the need for frequent blood tests, consequently driving the growth of minimally invasive blood collection devices. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, approximately 500 million people were diabetic in June 2023, and a blood glucose and HbA1c test was necessary for these patients. The increasing incidence of chronic diseases drives the need for capillary blood sampling solutions that are painless and convenient to use. This also fosters the growth of home-use testing devices and remote patient monitoring technologies.
• Advancements in blood collection technologies for decentralized testing: Manufacturers are aiming at enhancing blood sampling procedures through volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) and bladeless collection. In August 2023, PixCell’s HemoScreen analyzer received FDA approval for direct capillary sampling, which will do away with the need for intermediate tubes in point-of-care hematology testing. This advancement improves accuracy and reduces pre-analytical errors, especially in decentralized laboratories. Furthermore, smart features and data connectivity in the devices enable efficient data transfer and remote monitoring of the devices.
• Growing adoption of pediatric and neonatal blood sampling devices: Newborn and pediatric patients especially need blood samples taken through non-invasive techniques since they possess limited blood volume. In October 2023, Owen Mumford Ltd. introduced Unistik Heelstik, a neonatal and pediatric capillary blood sampling device that aims at minimizing the pain during blood collection in newborns and infants. The development emphasizes the shift toward more child-friendly technologies for blood sampling. These technologies seek to minimize pain and fear during blood sampling in children, while at the same time providing accurate and reliable results.

Challenges

• Barriers to capillary blood sampling integration: The introduction of new capillary blood sampling technologies in the existing health care systems poses challenges to the companies. Applying these approaches to modern laboratory requirements and EMR systems requires adjustments and may require updates to the software. Other important factors include data integrity during transmission and storage between the originating and receiving parties. Organizational change management of new devices and procedures mandates staff training to avert workflow disruptions. There are also the issues of standardization when it comes to applying the best practices in different healthcare organizations, as well as the difficulties of managing resistance to change.
• Regulatory compliance and quality in remote blood collection: The regulation of the quality of the devices used for remote blood sampling is quite a complex issue. To get over-the-counter approval, meeting the accuracy and safety standards is not a simple task that requires validation and testing. It is therefore important to monitor the performance and calibration of the device remotely. The confidentiality and security of patient data and information collected and transmitted from the patient’s home remain critical. Effective sample collection and handling require clear instructions and user support to avoid mistakes. It is equally important to consider contamination and sample integrity in non-clinical environment settings.