New Device Promises Pain-Free Blood Draws For Glucose Testing

Genteel, a device that promises painless blood sampling for glucose testing and that made it to our list of the Best New Medical Technologies of 2014, has now received clearance from the FDA. The device is designed to lance the skin just enough to penetrate the shallowest capillaries and to then vacuum suck a drop of blood onto the surface. The patient has to find the setting that works for them by using different tips that come with the Genteel, but once identified there are no more adjustments necessary.

It’s considerably larger than a typical lancing device, but it has a spring mechanism to create suction that the other rudimentary lances don’t have.