SimpleFluidics Mini-lab to take your own blood sample at home
Challenge
In many parts of the world, especially in remote or under-resourced regions, blood collection remains a logistical challenge. Traditional methods rely on trained personnel, sterile environments, and controlled transport conditions. Blood2Collect, a KU Leuven initiative, aimed to revolutionize this process by enabling patients to take their own blood samples at home.
Solution
Our team engineered a compact, user-friendly device that automates blood collection. The device collects the exact amount of blood via a simple finger prick, dries it on paper, and fits into a cartridge the size of a bank card—ready to be mailed to a lab. The cartridge design ensures ease of use, safety, and compatibility with standard postal systems.
Through a close collaboration with Comate, we were able to translate our technology into a scalable product, combining research, engineering, design and production thinking.
From proof of concept to product APPROACH
Moving from lab to market comes with risk and uncertainty. Addressing that risk early is what shapes the trajectory of development.
Together with KU Leuven, we mapped the full blood collection process, covering user needs, lab workflows, regulatory constraints and production realities. These were translated into clear, testable requirements that guide design decisions throughout the project.
By validating early with both patients and lab professionals, assumptions were challenged before they could evolve into costly mistakes.
From the outset, scalability and manufacturability were identified as key drivers. Taking them into account from the start proved essential for a smooth execution later on.
Making the right trade-offs DEVELOPMENT
A device is never a standalone object; it operates within a broader system. Understanding that system is key to making the right decisions throughout development.
By mapping it and breaking it down into functional blocks, we created clarity within that complexity. For each function, multiple solution pathways were identified and evaluated against requirements and project drivers such as performance.
In this process, risk is not something addressed at the end. Through Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and targeted prototyping, potential failure modes were identified early and resolved before they could escalate.
By working closely with production partners throughout development, we ensured the design performs not only conceptually, but also under real manufacturing conditions.
From promising concept to scalable reality THE RESULT
What started as a proof of concept is now a product-ready design, grounded in consistent engineering decisions.
Together with KU Leuven and the Lammertyn Lab, and with support from Smarthub, we developed a blood collection device that aligns with the defined system. Scalability was considered throughout, with material choices, tolerances and manufacturing steps continuously reviewed against performance, cost and risk.
Not only the product, but also the manufacturing process was carefully designed. This resulted in a flexible production approach that allows iteration on new and more customized chip designs.
Overall, this project shows that the design and engineering of IVD devices require research, engineering and production to operate as one integrated process, rather than a strictly sequential approach.
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