Proxima Blood Testing Device Gets UK Approval for Home Use

New portable blood testing device allows remote health monitoring

King's College LondonAug 5 2026Reviewed A new portable blood testing device could allow patient health to be monitored at home through an app. King's College London spinout Algocyte has developed a small blood testing device which connects via Bluetooth and uses AI to build a picture of an individual's health over time. The tool could be especially beneficial for patients who require regular monitoring, such as those undergoing chemotherapy, who currently rely on frequent hospital or GP visits for blood tests. Patients collect small blood samples, through minimally invasive methods such as finger pricking, which are placed into the device. Instead of sending the blood sample away to a laboratory, sensors measure properties of the blood sample, which are analysed using AI algorithms to generate blood test results that can be shared digitally with doctors and patients on the spot. While most blood tests provide only a snapshot of a person's health at a single moment in time, this technology helps identify small changes in an individual's health over time. The technology could also free up resources for the NHS, with millions of blood tests are carried out in the UK every year, helping doctors diagnose disease, monitor treatments and assess overall health. Bringing together expertise in artificial intelligence, bioengineering, computational biology and clinical medicine, Algocyte is an example of how interdisciplinary research from King's is being translated into technologies that could address real healthcare challenges. The device has achieved UKCA regulatory mark, meaning it complies with all relevant health, safety, and environmental protection standards, and is now progressing through further testing and evaluation in commercial deployment. Algocyte is continuing to gather scientific evidence and complete further regulatory steps as it works towards making the technology available more widely in different settings and for predictive purposes. This achievement demonstrates how academia and industry can work together to deliver meaningful social impact. Academia advances fundamental research into health, disease, and the application of AI to cell and molecular biology. Industry translates these advances into scalable technologies. This technology could have a real-world impact on the many patients receiving treatments that would benefit from regular blood monitoring, such as chemotherapy or the use of medicines like clozapine, which require close monitoring of blood cell levels due to potential side effects or complications." Dr. Hector Zenil, founder and CEO of Algocyte, and Associate Professor in Healthcare Engineering, King's College London The PROXIMA™ Mobile Health Station was officially launched at an event at the Royal Society of Medicine in London on 29 June, following the device's achievement of UKCA marking. The event brought together researchers, clinicians, industry partners and healthcare leaders to mark the milestone and discuss the technology's future development, clinical validation and potential applications across healthcare.

Proxima wants to move blood tests into the home, and it has cleared an important early hurdle

The portable analyzer delivers blood-count results in about 20 minutes, but its promise depends on transparent clinical data Algocyte's Proxima is designed to run blood-count tests from a small finger-prick sample and send the results to a clinician in about 20 minutes. For patients who need frequent monitoring, that could mean fewer trips to a clinic or laboratory. The device has also moved beyond the concept stage. Proxima carries UK conformity credentials, while Algocyte operates under a certified medical-device quality system. Those steps give the project more weight than a prototype shown at a launch event. What Proxima actually does Proxima is an ultra-portable hematology analyzer built around a small blood sample. Algocyte says it can measure markers used in a partial or full blood count, including red and white blood cells, platelets, and hemoglobin. A smartphone app controls the device. Two sensing systems capture information from the sample, then AI converts those signals into biological measurements. Recommended Videos The results are sent to a clinician dashboard rather than presented as a diagnosis for patients to interpret alone. Algocyte is initially targeting supervised use by healthcare workers, with home monitoring positioned as a longer-term goal. What the early clearance means Proxima is UKCA marked as a General IVD, while further conformity work remains underway for additional uses. Algocyte also holds ISO 13485 certification for its medical-device quality system. These credentials show that formal design and manufacturing processes are in place. They don't independently prove how closely Proxima's readings match conventional laboratory equipment. Finger-prick testing still draws extra scrutiny after Theranos, though Proxima's current claim is much narrower. It's being presented as a supervised hematology tool rather than a replacement for an entire clinical laboratory. What still needs to be shown The clearest next step is public performance data comparing Proxima with established reference analyzers across every claimed marker. That evidence should also show how often tests fail or need to be repeated. Real-world use will matter just as much. Finger-prick collection can vary, and a device intended for home monitoring has to remain dependable when samples aren't handled by laboratory staff. Proxima has cleared several meaningful early hurdles and is making a restrained claim. Its next milestone should be equally concrete, with published clinical evidence that doctors and patients can examine for themselves.