A blood flow assist device includes a flexible sleeve, at least one blood flow stimulator incorporated into the sleeve, and an actuator assembly coupled to the blood flow stimulator. The sleeve has a first portion configured to receive at least a portion of a arm and a second portion configured to engage a portion of a hand. The first and second portions of the sleeve properly position each blood flow stimulator on the arm. The actuator assembly individually controls and selectively actuates each blood flow stimulator to apply a stimulus to the arm to control blood flow through a vein in the arm or hand having a vein access device connected thereto. The blood flow assist device may be paired with a blood processing device, with a controller of the blood processing device controlling the actuator assembly based on a pressure and/or flow rate of blood into the blood processing device.

An arrangement for producing a sample of body fluid from a wound opening created in a skin surface at a sampling site includes: a housing, the housing comprising a first opening; a skin interface member disposed in the first opening, the skin interface member comprising an inner member having a second opening, and an outer member at least partially surrounding the inner member and attached to the first opening; and at least one skin-penetration member configured and arranged to project within the second opening. Arrangements having alternatively constructed skin interface members are also described.

A means and a method is disclosed to diminish or eliminate the pain associated with a sharp object penetrating the skin, during such procedures as an injection, biopsy, or deriving a blood sample. To this end, repeated tapping, pressing, or rubbing or vibrating is performed over the skin at or near the site of penetration of the sharp object in conjunction with applying electricity on the skin. The invention discloses a method of using a skin-puncturing means, with enhanced features, to provide local anesthesia at the site of penetration of a sharp object.

The application relates to a device (100) for non-invasively sampling interstitial fluid comprising one or more analytes from dermis (101 a) to skin surface (101 b) by using the magneto-hydrodynamic effect. The device comprises a first electrode (102a) and a second electrode (102b) adapted to be positioned adjacent to the skin surface, the first electrode separated from the second electrode by a distance (103), a power source (104) adapted to induce an electric current through the first electrode, the interstitial fluid and the second electrode, and also a magnet (105) adapted to produce a magnetic field to the interstitial fluid. Direction of the magnetic field and direction of the electric current produced by the magnet and the power source, respectively, is such that Lorentz force drives the fluid from the dermis towards the skin surface.

The present disclosure is directed to wearable or insertable devices that allow for ongoing sampling and analysis of biomarkers and self-cleaning. In various embodiments, an apparatus may include a base (102) defining at least one reservoir (104), and at least one microneedle (106, 306, 406, 506, 606, 706, 806, 906) extending from the base. The at least one microneedle may define an inner lumen (409, 509, 609, 709, 809, 909) that fluidly couples the at least one reservoir with tissue of the patient. A mechanically responsive material (670, 770, 870) on an inner surface of the at least one microneedle defining the inner lumen may be reactive to various stimuli to undergo various mechanical responses, such as one mechanical response that purges fluid from the inner lumen of the at least one microneedle and another mechanical response that draws fluid into the inner lumen of the at least one microneedle.

The present disclosure is directed to enhanced sampling of bioanalytes from bodily fluids using wearable and/or insertable devices. In some embodiments, an apparatus (100, 500, 600) for sampling bioanalyte(s) in tissue (107, 507, 607) may include: a base (102, 502, 602) having conduit(s) adapted to receive fluid extracted from the tissue; microneedles (106, 306, 506, 606) fluidly coupled with the conduit(s) and adapted to be pierced into the tissue; a plurality of individually-controllable energy emitters (112, 114, 350, 612, 614); and logic (90) operably coupled with the plurality of individually-controllable energy-emitters. The logic may be adapted to operate a subset of the plurality of individually-controllable energy emitters to apply energy at a first subset of the microneedles to induce bioanalyte flow through tissue towards the first subset or a second subset of the microneedles, or through the first subset or a second subset of the microneedles.

A microfluidic device for non-invasively and passively accessing interstitial fluid from a patient includes a substrate containing multiple vertical micro channels therethrough, wherein at a first end of each of the multiple vertical micro channels a microheater is formed for controllably ablating a portion of dry dead skin cells to access the interstitial fluid; and wherein at a second end of each of the multiple vertical micro channels is a horizontal micro channel for receiving accessed interstitial fluid from a vertical micro channel and guiding the accessed interstitial fluid to a common collection port.

The application relates to a device (100) for non-invasively sampling interstitial fluid comprising one or more analytes from dermis (101 a) to skin surface (101 b) by using the magneto-hydrodynamic effect. The device comprises a first electrode (102a) and a second electrode (102b) adapted to be positioned adjacent to the skin surface, the first electrode separated from the second electrode by a distance (103), a power source (104) adapted to induce an electric current through the first electrode, the interstitial fluid and the second electrode, and also a magnet (105) adapted to produce a magnetic field to the interstitial fluid. Direction of the magnetic field and direction of the electric current produced by the magnet and the power source, respectively, is such that Lorenz force drives the fluid from the dermis towards the skin surface.

The various embodiments disclosed herein are devices that deliver electrical stimulation and/or vibration stimulation to the surface of skin in proximity to insulin injections and/or glucose testing in order to decrease or eliminate the pain of these procedures.

The present invention provides dermal patches and methods of use for collecting biological fluid in proximity to a lymph node for ex vivo or in situ detection of a trigger analyte. In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for collecting a biological fluid sample, the method comprising: a) applying a dermal patch comprising a microneedle array to a skin location in proximity to at least one lymph node in a subject or patient; b) contacting the microneedle array intradermally to access a biological fluid; c) allowing the microneedle array to take up a biological fluid sample; d) collecting the biological fluid sample into a sampling chamber housed within the dermal patch. Additional steps can include activating the microneedle array by applying pressure or electric current.