Ira Pastor, ideaXme life sciences ambassador, interviews Rick Bente, MSc, MBA, BS, CEO of Seventh Sense Biosystems.
Ira Pastor Comments:
Getting blood drawn is not a fun activity for many. It can be scary for some (especially if you have children); it can be painful for others (especially where frequent blood draws are required).
Studies show that a remarkable 20% of the population has some degree of fear of needles or injections, and 10% within that number suffer from what is known as Trypanophobia (a psychological term for people with an extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles), who on top of their anxiety, completely avoid necessary tests and treatment.
In addition to this, it is estimated that needles injure healthcare workers more than 2 million times a year in accidents, with potentially dangerous and deadly outcomes.
Drawing blood is likely the most common invasive medical procedure, with an estimated half a billion a year conducted in U.S. hospitals alone, and two to three times this number across all hospitals worldwide annually.
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