BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, and Babson Diagnostics, a science-first health care technology company, today announced an expansion of fingertip blood collection and testing technologies for use by U.S. health systems and other large provider networks in settings like urgent cares, doctor offices and other ambulatory care settings.
This innovative blood testing process integrates BD’s MiniDraw™ Capillary Blood Collection System with Babson’s BetterWay technologies to enable test results from as few as six drops of capillary blood collected from a patient’s finger. With this less-invasive alternative to venipuncture blood draws, samples can be collected and prepared by any trained health care worker — including those without prior phlebotomy experience.
With 70% of clinical decisions informed by diagnostic results, blood tests are a routine part of care to help clinicians diagnose, monitor and treat patients. This novel capillary solution enables care providers to improve access to blood testing in underserved locations that do not have phlebotomy capabilities, while lowering common barriers to testing such as fear of needles and logistical challenges.
“In areas of the U.S. where there are gaps in services or shortages of trained phlebotomy professionals, patients may experience delays in blood draws or not receive care they need,” said Bridget Bagnato, worldwide president of Specimen Management at BD. “By simplifying one of the most common procedures, together we’re making blood testing less invasive and more convenient to help health care organizations increase efficiency and access while helping to improving patient satisfaction and outcomes.”
The commercial partnership is an expansion of BD and Babson’s collaboration to advance capillary blood testing, which started in 2016 and has since evolved into a strategic partnership.
“BetterWay and BD MiniDraw™ are defining what’s next in health care,” said David Stein, Babson’s CEO. “BD has been innovating blood collection technology for 75 years and we believe our partnership will deliver a potentially transformative technology to support innovative and patient-focused health care organizations in better reaching and serving patients.”
BetterWay blood testing has been available in retail settings since May 2024, expanding access to blood collection to new locations, including local pharmacies. This continued expansion will bring it to patients in ambulatory care sites throughout the United States.
