The Robotic Arm Revolutionizing the Blood Draw

UTRECHT, The Netherlands – January 12, 2026 – Vitestro, a pioneer in medical robotics, has pulled back the curtain on what it hopes will be the future of blood collection. The company today launched a new corporate website and released the first public video of its Aletta® Autonomous Robotic Phlebotomy Device™ (ARPD™) in action, offering a detailed look at a technology poised to address some of modern healthcare's most persistent challenges.

The video demonstrates the Aletta® system autonomously performing a diagnostic blood draw, a routine but critical procedure that has remained largely manual for decades. This public unveiling represents a strategic shift for the company, moving toward broader education and transparency as it seeks to establish robotic phlebotomy as a new standard of care.

"As we bring autonomous robotic phlebotomy into routine clinical practice, it is essential that healthcare professionals and patients clearly understand how the technology works and how it integrates into real world care delivery," said Toon Overbeeke, Chief Executive Officer of Vitestro, in a statement. "By making our technology and clinical workflow more visible, we are enabling informed adoption, building confidence, and supporting the responsible establishment of a new standard for diagnostic blood collection."

Inside the Machine: Precision Through AI and Robotics

At the heart of the Aletta® device is a sophisticated fusion of technologies designed to outperform human limitations in consistency and accuracy. The system uses a combination of AI-powered Doppler ultrasound and near-infrared imaging to create a real-time, 3D map of a patient's veins. This allows the device to not only identify a suitable vein but also to assess its depth, diameter, and blood flow before proceeding.

Once a target is selected, advanced robotics guide the needle with sub-millimeter precision. This automated process is the key to Aletta®'s impressive clinical results. In a pivotal study involving over 4,000 patients, the device achieved a 95% first-stick success rate. This performance is on par with skilled human phlebotomists, but Aletta®'s true advantage shines in more challenging cases. For patients identified as having difficult venous access, the robot achieved a remarkable 99% success rate on the first attempt—a significant improvement over the 75-80% often seen in manual draws for this population.

Beyond just finding the vein, the technology dramatically improves sample quality. One of the most common pre-analytical errors in phlebotomy is hemolysis, the rupture of red blood cells that can contaminate a sample and lead to inaccurate test results and necessary redraws. Aletta® has demonstrated a hemolysis rate of less than 0.1%, far below the industry benchmark of 2%. This level of quality control has the potential to reduce diagnostic delays and associated costs.

Furthermore, the entire procedure is efficient, with a median time of approximately two and a half minutes from tourniquet application to bandaging, promising increased throughput for busy clinics and laboratories.

An Answer to the Healthcare Workforce Crisis

While the technology is impressive, its most significant impact may be in addressing the deepening global shortage of healthcare professionals. Phlebotomy departments in hospitals and outpatient labs are under constant pressure, struggling to maintain staffing levels while facing ever-increasing demand. Aletta® is not designed to replace phlebotomists, but rather to augment them.

By automating routine blood draws, the device can function as an integral part of the phlebotomy team. This allows a single trained healthcare professional to supervise multiple devices simultaneously, freeing up their time to focus on more complex cases, pediatric patients, or other critical aspects of patient care. For hospital administrators, this presents a powerful tool for improving operational efficiency, standardizing quality, and building a more resilient workforce.

The system is designed to seamlessly integrate into existing clinical workflows. It can connect with a hospital's Laboratory Information System (LIS) to automatically retrieve patient test orders, print labels, and prepare the correct collection tubes, minimizing the chance of human error throughout the process.

Redefining the Patient Experience

A central question surrounding any medical automation is the patient's experience. The thought of a robot performing a procedure as personal as a blood draw can evoke both curiosity and apprehension. Vitestro appears to have addressed this head-on, with clinical data revealing overwhelmingly positive reception.

In trials, 98% of patients indicated their acceptance of the robotic procedure. Crucially, 83% of participants rated the pain as less than or comparable to a manual blood draw. Patients who have historically been 'difficult sticks'—enduring multiple painful attempts to find a vein—have reported relief and surprise at the swift, successful, and relatively painless experience with Aletta®.

The device's physical design also considers patient psychology. It features an open and user-friendly interface. While the patient can watch the ultrasound imaging as the device locates their vein, the actual needle insertion is shielded from direct view, a feature that acknowledges the common anxiety many people feel during the procedure. By prioritizing accuracy and minimizing pain, Aletta® aims to build trust by delivering a consistently better outcome, trading the variability of the human touch for the reliability of robotic precision.

The Global Gauntlet: From CE Mark to Worldwide Standard

With a CE mark secured in 2024, Aletta® is already approved for clinical and commercial use across Europe, making it the world's first and only device of its kind to achieve this regulatory milestone under the stringent new Medical Device Regulation (MDR). This certification validates its safety and performance, paving the way for its initial rollout in European healthcare facilities.

However, global adoption is a marathon, not a sprint. Vitestro has its sights set on the United States, the world's largest healthcare market, where Aletta® is not yet cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company is actively pursuing U.S. regulatory authorization and is collaborating with some of the country's most prestigious medical institutions, including Northwestern Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and Baylor Scott & White Health, to conduct multi-center clinical trials. A large-scale U.S. study is slated to begin in early 2027 to generate the evidence needed to support FDA approval and drive adoption.

As Vitestro moves from development to commercialization, its journey will be closely watched. The successful integration of Aletta® into mainstream healthcare could signal a major turning point, not just for diagnostics, but for the expanding role of automation and artificial intelligence in direct patient care.