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| The "needle-free" blood test could be an elegant solution for diabetes sufferers |
GOOGLE has filed a patent for a "needle-free" blood test that can be fitted to a handheld gadget – or smartwatch.
Google has filed a patent for a "needle-free blood draw" system that can be fitted to a wearable device, like a smartwatch.
The US technology giant describes a "needle-free" gadget that can draw blood from a fingertip or other parts of the body.
The patent – which was published earlier this week but has not yet been approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office – describes a device that draws blood from the body by sending an "abrupt surge” of gas into a small barrel, which contains a micro-particle capable of piercing the skin.
Once a droplet of blood is released, it is sucked into the vial by the negative pressure inside the barrel.
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| Google hints at two possible applications for the cutting edge technology |
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| The US technology firm believes the technology cold be embedded into a wearable device |
"Such an application might be used to draw a small amount of blood, for example, for a glucose test," Google claims in the US patent.
Google filed a number of illustrations with the patent application which help to demonstrate how the test could work.
In one of the images, the technology is shown inside a smartwatch-like device.
It easy to imagine the US search firm using the technology in a wearable designed for those who suffer from diabetes.
But Google is staying tight-lipped about its "needle-free blood draw" system.
In a statement, the Californian company said: "We hold patents on a variety of ideas – some of those ideas later mature into real products or services, some don't.
"Prospective product announcements should not necessarily be inferred from our patents."
Around nine per cent of all adults worldwide suffer with diabetes, according to research by the World Health Organisation last year.
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