Photo by Graham Colm
A new blood collection set has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration as well as the CE mark, which means it can be marketed within the European Economic Area.
The BD Vacutainer® UltraTouch™ Push Button Blood Collection Set is engineered to minimize patient discomfort during blood collection.
The set uses proprietary needle technology—Pentapoint™ Comfort and RightGauge™ Ultra-Thin Wall technology.
According to the manufacturer, BD, this technology can reduce penetration forces without compromising tube fill times or sample quality.
Research has shown that PentaPoint™ Comfort 5-bevel needle technology helps reduce the chance of a painful injection by creating a flatter, thinner surface to help penetrate the skin with significantly greater ease.1
When combined with RightGauge™ technology, which increases the needle’s inner diameter and enables clinicians to select a smaller gauge needle without sacrificing sample quality and blood flow, the BD Vacutainer® UltraTouch™ Push Button Blood Collection Set has been shown to reduce penetration forces by up to 32% when compared to another blood collection set.2
“The ability to use smaller gauge needles should also help clinicians access veins more successfully,” said Ana K. Stankovic, MD, PhD, worldwide vice president of Medical Affairs for BD Life Sciences – Preanalytical Systems and Global Health.
“This could prove especially valuable in patient populations—such as oncology, geriatric, and pediatric—that often have difficult or fragile veins.”
Dr Stankovic also noted that clinicians may be reluctant to use smaller gauge needles for fear of increasing hemolysis as the blood passes slowly through the narrow cannula.
“With BD Vacutainer® UltraTouch™ Push Button Blood Collection Sets, clinicians can select the gauge that is most appropriate for their patients, without compromising sample quality, testing accuracy, and their own efficiency,” she said.
1. Hirsch LJ, et al. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. 2012, 6(2):328-35.
2. 2015 BD bench testing versus BD Vacutainer® Push Button Blood Collection Sets.