Chicago-based healthcare system Northwestern Medicine has entered into a new collaboration with Vitestro, which will include testing of Vitestro's autonomous robotic phlebotomy device Aletta.
The two firms have agrred a multi-year collaboration to advance automation in phlebotomy and transform the patient experience. As part of this collaboration, Northwestern Medicine will participate in a multicentre clinical trial validating the performance and safety of Aletta. The goal of the study is to generate key clinical evidence to support adoption of automated phlebotomy as a scalable solution for US hospital and outpatient blood draw centres.
"At Northwestern Medicine, we are dedicated to pioneering innovations that elevate patient care and operational excellence," said Gary A Noskin MD, Senior Vice President, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, and President, Northwestern Medical Group. "Our collaboration with Vitestro is a step forward in transforming diagnostic testing by automating venous blood collection. Through this relationship our goal is to improve efficiency, enhance sample integrity, and redefine the patient experience through cutting-edge technology."
By automating and standardising blood collection, this collaboration aims to:
- Address critical phlebotomy workforce shortages by providing a scalable, automated solution
- Enhance operational efficiency and patient throughput in high-volume hospital outpatient settings
- Improve sample quality and integrity, reducing errors associated with manual venipuncture
- Expand access to high-quality blood collection while enhancing patient comfort and overall care.
"We are privileged to collaborate with Northwestern Medicine in setting a new standard for laboratory automation," said Brian Joseph, Co-founder of Vitestro. "Vitestro's mission is to empower hospitals and laboratories with transformative robotic solutions that drive efficiency, improve clinical outcomes, and elevate the patient experience. This collaboration will further validate the role of automation in modernising blood collection."
As Chicago's premier integrated academic health system, Northwestern Medicine offers patients access to world class, compassionate care at 11 hospitals and more than 200 diagnostic and ambulatory sites.
"Phlebotomy remains one of the last manual processes in laboratory medicine, and automation presents a pivotal opportunity to transform it," said Gregory S Retzinger MD PhD, Medical Director of Pathology Clinical Services, Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "This collaboration goes beyond evaluating autonomous robotic phlebotomy - it has the potential to solve urgent staffing challenges and redefining the future of laboratory medicine.