| abstract |
Devices are provided to automatically access blood from beneath or within skin. These devices (100) include an injector (135) configured to drive a needle (120) into the skin and subsequently to retract the needle from the skin. These devices additionally include a seal (143) to which suction is applied. To drive the needle into the skin, the needle is first driven through the seal, creating at least one hole (144) in the seal. The suction applied to the seal acts to draw blood from the puncture formed in the skin by the needle, through the at least one hole in the seal, and to a sensor (140), blood storage element, or other payload. These devices can be wearable and configured to automatically access blood from skin, for example, to access blood from the skin at one or more points in time while a wearer of a device is sleeping. |