FDA clears Aletta, the first autonomous blood‑draw robot for U.S. clinics
Aletta, developed by Dutch robotics firm Vitestro, has received FDA clearance to autonomously draw blood from adults in non‑hospital settings across the United States. The system uses near‑infrared scanning, ultrasound imaging and AI‑driven robotics to locate veins, insert a needle and collect samples without human touch.
Key points
- FDA cleared Aletta, the first autonomous blood‑draw robot, for adult use in U.S. non‑hospital settings.
- In a Dutch trial of 1,600+ participants, Aletta succeeded on the first attempt in 94.5% of cases, including hard‑to‑reach veins.
- One in twenty draws may fail, with concerns that darker skin tones could reduce infrared imaging accuracy.
In a Dutch clinical trial of more than 1,600 participants, Aletta succeeded on the first attempt in 94.5% of cases, even with patients who have obesity, elderly age or hard‑to‑find veins. The device can be supervised by a single phlebotomist who may oversee up to three machines, potentially easing the chronic staffing shortages that plague medical labs.
Critics note that the infrared component may struggle with darker skin tones, though Vitestro points to ultrasound as a skin‑tone‑agnostic backup. Ongoing U.S. trials will assess sample quality and broader performance before wider rollout, with plans to expand to Europe next year.
This Robot Will Draw Your Blood Now
IEEE Spectrum Robotics · 7 September 2026
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This text was published by IEEE Spectrum Robotics and written by Elie Dolgin. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
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