Apparatus and method for enhancing blood flow to obtain a blood sample

Abstract

A strip of pliable or flexible material that is sized to circumferentially extend about a digit of a person from whom a blood sample is to be taken. The strip of pliable material has upper and lower generally parallel and planar surfaces. Also, the flexible film or strip defines a throughhole between opposite ends of the film. The lower or bottom surface of the strip has a skin contacting adhesive thereon allowing the film to be tautly applied about the person's digit, with the throughhole circumscribing an underlying surface skin area that is to be punctured to create blood flow. The taut application of the strip about the digit inhibits venus blood return thus enhancing blood flow from the puncture and thereby providing an adequate blood specimen even in person's that have a difficultly bleeding. A method of obtaining a blood specimen is also disclosed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.