Theranos-like blood tests could soon become reality

[KARAH RUCKER]

IT SEEMED TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE – AND IT WAS: A BLOOD TEST WITH JUST THE PRICK OF A FINGER.

THAT WAS THE REVOLUTIONARY VISION OF DISGRACED THERANOS FOUNDER ELIZABETH HOLMES.

NOW… IT COULD SOON BECOME A REALITY. 

WHEN THERANOS WAS FOUNDED IN 2003 – HOLMES PROMISED TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWED BLOOD TESTS TO BE PERFORMED QUICKLY AND ACCURATELY WITH ONLY A SMALL DROP OF BLOOD.

THAT INFAMOUSLY TURNED OUT TO BE A LIE AND HOLMES IS CURRENTLY SERVING 11 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SWINDLING INVESTORS OUT OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. 

HOWEVER – MULTIPLE OTHER COMPANIES ARE NOW DEVELOPING THAT VERY TECHNOLOGY.

BECTON DICKINSON – A GLOBAL DIAGNOSTICS AND MEDICAL SUPPLY COMPANY – AND BABSON DIAGNOSTICS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MAKING THE TECHNOLOGY WORK WHERE THERANOS COULDN’T. 

BECTON’S HAND-HELD FINGER-PRICK DEVICE AND BABSON’S SAMPLE-HANDLING MACHINE ARE THE FIRST TO HIT THE MARKET – ROLLING OUT IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. 

A DEVICE FROM ANOTHER COMPANY – DRAWBRIDGE HEALTH – THAT CAN BE SELF-ADMINISTERED AND TAKES A SMALL AMOUNT OF BLOOD FROM THE UPPER ARM HAS GOTTEN F-D-A CLEARANCE.

AND TRUVIAN HEALTH IS DEVELOPING A DEVICE THAT CAN PROCESS BLOOD SAMPLES NOT FAR FROM WHERE THEY’RE DRAWN – RATHER THAN NEEDING THE SAMPLES SENT BACK TO A CENTRAL LAB.

THE COMPANY’S C-E-O SAYS THAT’S SET TO LAUNCH COMMERCIALLY NEXT YEAR. 

BLOOD TESTS ARE A STAPLE OF MEDICAL TESTING – USED TO FIGURE OUT EVERYTHING FROM WHETHER SOMEONE IS DIABETIC TO WHETHER THEY HAVE A VITAMIN DEFICIENCY. 

HOWEVER, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO FIND SUITABLE VEIN ON THE FIRST TRY… AND MANY PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF NEEDLES. 

THESE NEW TESTING METHODS COULD ELIMINATE THOSE ISSUES. 

THE TESTS WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO BE ADMINISTERED BY PHARMACISTS – INSTEAD OF DEDICATED PHLEBOTOMISTS, WHO SPECIALIZE IN DRAWING BLOOD. 

BABSON AND BECTON SAY CLINICAL STUDIES SHOW LAB RESULTS FROM THE FINGERSTICK BLOOD SAMPLES ARE AS ACCURATE AS STANDARD BLOOD TESTS… AND THEY PLAN TO PUBLISH THE RESULTS IN A MEDICAL JOURNAL.

AFTER THE DEBACLE THAT WAS THERANOS… RESEARCH PROVING THE TESTS’ ACCURACY WILL BE CRUCIAL TO GETTING DOCTORS ON BOARD WITH TRYING THE TECHNOLOGY.