Almost everyone has been subjected to a blood test at some point in their life. Blood is tested for a variety of components that are analyzed to help measure a person’s health.

For more than 150 years now, needles have been the dominant method for drawing blood, but the risks associated with this method — not to mention the general discomfort of being stabbed by a metal syringe — can now be avoided.

Not long ago, medical researchers at Tasso Inc. received a $3 million federal grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a new painless way to draw blood using a device the size of a golf ball.

The device attaches to the deltoid of an arm and gently suctions blood from the capillaries imbedded in your skin using a small vacuum.

Capillaries are interweaving blood vessels (tunnels) that contain pores, which open and close to exchange and distribute nutrients and oxygen within your body.

The suctioning component of this device uses capillary action in order to draw blood into the small container attached to the device. Capillary action, also known as wicking, allows for blood to flow into the container without any help or assistance.

Without even breaking the skin, this new device can gather a complete blood sample in about 2 minutes.

Furthermore, researchers are planning to come up with alternative ways to preserve the blood (at 140° F) so that patients can have more time to submit their blood samples for testing.

Tasso Inc. plans on distributing their product to hospitals, clinics and households in the near future. The unique self-administering gadget will be submitted to the FDA later this year.

Read More at Popular Mechanics and Gizmodo.