March 19, 2025—Northwestern Medicine and Vitestro announced a multiyear collaboration to advance automation in phlebotomy. As part of the collaboration, Northwestern Medicine will participate in a multicenter clinical trial validating the performance and safety of Vitestro’s Aletta, an autonomous robotic phlebotomy device. The goal of the study is to generate key clinical evidence to support the adoption of automated phlebotomy as a scalable solution for U.S. hospital and outpatient blood draw centers.
“Phlebotomy remains one of the last manual processes in laboratory medicine, and automation presents a pivotal opportunity to transform it,” Gregory S. Retzinger, MD, PhD, medical director of pathology clinical services at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, said in a press statement. “This collaboration goes beyond evaluating autonomous robotic phlebotomy—it has the potential to solve urgent staffing challenges and redefining the future of laboratory medicine.”
The collaboration aims to address critical phlebotomy workforce shortages by providing a scalable, automated solution; enhance operational efficiency and patient throughput in high-volume hospital outpatient settings; improve sample quality and integrity; and expand access to high-quality blood collection while enhancing patient comfort and overall care.