A new era in blood collection: the innovative design behind Onflow

Blood collection hasn’t had significant improvement since the invention of the plastic syringe in 1955.

Loop Medical is on a mission to simplify the practice with Onflow: the new needle-free blood collection device.

The two revolutionary devices offer painless, easy-to-use, and high-volume blood collection.

In this interview, Loop Medical’s R&D manager Pierre Simonin walks us through the technology behind the devices, how they differ from other blood collection devices on the market, and the challenges faced during the development process.

Pierre also shares his vision for the future of the devices and their effect on healthcare.

Why do you think it took almost a century to have significant innovation in the field of blood collection?

“I think blood analysis has become more and more important in the past couple of years. People are more curious to know more about their wellness.

“The world currently performs about 5 billion draws per year. I think the current innovation is trying to match the burst in demand and create simpler ways to collect blood.

“But it’s not just the number of draws that are increasing, there is also an increase in the desired volume. Clinical procedures now demand more blood to test a variety of markers. Hence the focus on Onflow’s high-volume collection.”

How does Onflow work? And what are the mechanics behind its painless blood collection?

“Onflow is based on two mechanisms: an intricate mechanical cascade and a proprietary incision mechanism. The goal was to make the device easy for anyone to use, so we designed it to have appropriate safety features and to be as easy as possible to fit seamlessly into patients’ lives.

“On the inside of the device, the mechanical process moves along, resulting in a high volume of blood draw into our novel device– but to the patient, it’s just a press of a button. It’s all painless and automatic.”

How do Onflow and Maxflow differ from other means of drawing blood, like fingerpricks and other blood collection devices on the market?

“We have three major differentiators:

“First is the volume. Onflow collects over 1 ml painlessly from the arm. And the Maxflow, which we’re still in early development for, will collect up to 3 ml.

“The second is compatibility with lab infrastructure. The cartridge inside of the Onflow goes straight into standard analyzers without transfer or treatment.

“The third is painlessness. Onflow is less painful than other options – even the tiny fingerprick.”

From the perspective of an R&D manager, how do you integrate user experience when designing Onflow?

“The design is important – and it’s more than just graphics and appearance.

“We focus on simplicity and not having too much information to instruct the user. Onflow is designed in a way that circumvents the complexity of venipuncture in one push of a button.”

Can you tell us about any challenges you faced during the development process?

“The main challenge for any device is robustness. We want the device to be able to be used anywhere, regardless of geography or setting.

“The development is not unlike other medical devices: We know that in our testing in traditional clinical settings, the device works well.

“Our focus now is to go outside of the normal conditions and see where the device might be challenged, then work backward and ensure a great quality blood collection every single time."

What kind of testing did you conduct to ensure Onflow’s efficacy and safety?

“We do several tests to ensure the functionality of the device. This includes aging and transport testing, to name a few.

“We’re currently going through validating our packaging and shipping methods as well.? We need to make sure that the device is going to function the same even if it’s tossed around during worldwide shipping or if the climate is different from ours. There are a lot of functionality considerations we have to be aware of and test.

“Regarding patient safety, we address questions of risk analysis and usability. We make sure that the product is easy to use and that the instructions are clear.

“These safety and efficacy factors will also be assessed in the clinical steps. We have to make sure that we have a high device success rate with high precision in the clinical phase.?

“In short, we check every touch point the patient has with the product and make sure the experience is smooth.”

What impact do you hope Onflow makes on healthcare as a whole?

“I think decentralizing blood collection has a huge impact on the industry. It enables people to have an overview of their health while skipping the boredom of going to the lab, waiting in line, and getting a venipuncture.

“I also think this is very valuable for developing countries that struggle with healthcare access.

“Long term, creating an easier way to collect blood might stimulate creating easier ways to analyze blood as well – like increasing the interest in small, at-home blood analyzers. This could make healthcare even more accessible, one innovation at a time.”

How do you see Onflow evolving?

“We will have additives and the devices will be color-coded. Each additive will be suitable for a different sample type and allow analyzing new markers.

“Next is finding a way to collect even higher volumes of blood with Maxflow, making our devices as universal as possible.”

Interested in a pilot using Onflow? Get in touch today!