DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The days of needing to prick your finger before donating blood could be coming to a close. ImpactLife is introducing new technology to its donor centers that can measure your hemoglobin levels without requiring a finger prick.
"We've got a device that has a small cuff that fits over the donor's thumb. It squeezes the thumb," said ImpactLife's Manager of Public Relations Kirby Winn. "It's a bit like getting your blood pressure taken, but just on the thumb. After about 30 seconds or so, we have the same reading for hemoglobin."
Centers throughout Central Illinois received training on the OrSense technology this week.
"We had training this week in Springfield, Peoria, Decatur and Urbana, so we have some of our first mobile blood drives that are using OrSense out [Thursday] across the region, and then our donor centers, too," Winn said.
The new device is also minimizing ImpactLife's biowaste.
"You'd have a pair of gloves for the collection specialist to wear, you'd have an alcohol wipe for the fingertip, the lancet itself, a piece of gauze and then also a band-aid, so all of those elements are no longer needed," Winn said
If the prick on your finger was stopping you from donating, you no longer need to worry about it.
To find a donor center near you, click here.
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