Start-Up Company Creates Robot To Draw Blood

BOSTON (CBS) – Would your trust a machine to draw your blood?

A startup company in California has created what's believed to be the first robot phlebotomist.

Veebot uses infrared light and image analysis to find the right vein in your arm, ultrasound to confirm the blood flow in that vein and robotics to insert a needle into it.

So why would you use the machine instead of a human, especially when Veebot needs a person to start the process?

Veebot LLC claims it's all about reducing human error and, therefore, saving money.

The company believes their robot will eventually find the right vein more often than a human.

Right now, they say Veebot can find the best vein to target about 83-percent of the time, reportedly as good as an experienced technician.

But the founders plan to boost that success rate to 90-percent before starting clinical trials.

"It does have advantages when a high level of skill is not available or in situations where you're concerned about the nurse having contact with the patients, such as patients who are in isolation because of infectious disease processes," Stuart Harris, Managing Partner at Veebot told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 Wednesday.

So what do you think?

Would you try this or stick with the human phlebotomist?

Share your thoughts in the comment section below.