This San Diego company miniaturized a multimillion-dollar blood-testing lab into a device the size of a microwave.<\/p>\n
Truvian,created an instrument that can deliver 26 different blood tests in 30 minutes \u2014 with only eight drops of blood. And according to the Food and Drug Administration, the results are just as accurate as the room-sized equipment that run the same tests at core laboratories.<\/p>\n
No more drawing tubes of blood and waiting days for results to arrive via email, explained Dena Marrinucci, co-founder and chief operating officer of Truvian. With eight drops of blood, the device stands to\u00a0redefine health care by putting lab-grade results directly in patients\u2019 hands.<\/p>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SUT-L-TRUVIAN-011.jpg\")
Dena Marrinucci, co-founder and chief operating officer of Truvian, at the company’s lab. She says with Truvian’s new blood-testing device, patients won’t need to have tubes of blood drawn or wait days for test results. (Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
If any of this sounds familiar, that\u2019s because Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos, long claimed she had created a similar blood diagnostic technology, tricking investors out of millions. The fraud landed her in federal prison.<\/p>\n
Unlike Theranos, Truvian has pursued \u2014 and recently earned \u2014 regulatory approval at every step with the help of medical leaders and scientists.<\/p>\n
While proving that their technology works has been hard, maintaining executive leadership has been tough, too. In eight years, the company has had three chief executives. Now, Truvian is looking for a CEO who can bring its technology to market.<\/p>\n
Miniaturizing the science<\/p>\n
Inside Truvian\u2019s University City lab, dozens of the newly FDA-cleared devices \u2014 dubbed the TruVersus\u2014 line the benchtops. The device looks like a first-generation Mac PC. Housed under the plastic casing are three different diagnostic mechanisms that can run 26 tests in a single run.<\/p>\n
Marrinucci plugged the device into a standard outlet. \u201cIt\u2019s like an Easy-Bake Oven,\u201d she said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
She put eight drops of her blood into the machine. The tray closed, and the machine whirled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was so much doubt that we actually put a clear cover over the machine to show all of the science that went into them,\u201d Marrinucci said.<\/p>\n
Thirty minutes later, her blood results are illuminated on the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reality is actually a lot of what Elizabeth Holmes was trying to do wasn\u2019t off. It wasn\u2019t like it was impossible. She was just cutting corners left and right,\u201d explained Dr. Michael Mina, chief medical officer at Truvian.<\/p>\n
The actual amount of blood that goes into a test is extraordinarily small. \u201cThe challenge is not the biology. The biology is done every single day at any core lab in the world. The challenge was really creating a machine,\u201d said Mina.<\/p>\n
For FDA testing, the TruVersus benchtop device ran over 20,000 tests against what Mina called the \u201claboratory gold standards\u201d in the industry: the Swiss pharma giant\u2019s Roche Cobas, which tests for chemistry and immunoassay, and the Japanese company\u2019s Sysmex, which tests for hematology labs.<\/p>\n
The Cobas weighs as much as a baby hippopotamus, requires 60 liters of water a day, costs over a quarter-million dollars, and it needs a specialized electric infrastructure.<\/p>\n
These large devices live in hospitals and core labs around the world, executing tens of thousands of blood tests every day. Hospitals and clinics that don\u2019t have the machinery send blood to labs that do.<\/p>\n
Truvian proved their device could run dozens of common blood tests \u2014 checking from cholesterol and blood sugar to liver function \u2014 just as accurately as the Cobas and Sysmex, according to the FDA. In an independent review from UC San Diego Anti-Viral Research Center, the TruVerus ran 107 tests against the Cobas and Sysmex, with 98% run reliability.<\/p>\n
The company did not say how much the device or testing kits would cost, as they are still developing relationships with manufacturers.<\/p>\n
![\"Truvian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SUT-L-TRUVIAN-003.jpg\")
Truvian’s newly FDA-cleared device is called the TruVersus. Housed under the plastic casing are three different diagnostic mechanisms that can run 26 tests in a single run. (Meg McLaughlin \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)
\nTo the clinic, Canada, and \u201cevery corner\u201d<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s still early days, Truvian has ambitious plans. Today, they are in talks with hospital systems, retail pharmacies, telehealth companies and Canadian clinics.<\/p>\n
Truvian plans to roll out pilot programs \u201cin the next couple of quarters,\u201d said Mina.<\/p>\n
Mina, who is also an adviser to Hims & Hers, a major telehealth company, described a sweeping reimagining of primary care.<\/p>\n
In his vision, you could order lab work from your phone and test results would be processed just in time for a Zoom call with your doctor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t crazy, because these things exist now. Like an Uber or drone picks up your blood test, and they bring it to the Truvian micro-lab. And because our whole lab is literally a box, you can have 50 of them around a metropolitan area,\u201d said Mina.<\/p>\n
Truvian leaders envision micro-labs \u201cat every corner.\u201d Picture those coin counter kiosks in grocery stores: One day, you \u2014 or Amazon labs \u2014 may drop off your blood kit on the way out of Ralph\u2019s, Mina explained.<\/p>\n
To date, Truvian has raised over $200 million. They plan to raise additional capital in 2026.<\/p>\n
One of Truvian\u2019s largest deals was outside of the U.S. In 2024, they partnered with Canada\u2019s largest pharmacy, Shoppers Drug Mart, which included $74 million in capital.<\/p>\n
Doctor\u2019s notes<\/p>\n
Despite the FDA clearance, doctors have been hesitant to endorse the device because they haven\u2019t used it.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur process for adopting new platforms is intentionally rigorous,\u201d said Dr. Anil Keswani, Scripps Health chief medical officer. Devices used at Scripps must go through internal quality control, he explained.<\/p>\n
Dr. David J. Lee, board-certified hematologist-oncologist at UC San Diego, concurred. \u201cReliability is very difficult to prove in practice,\u201d he said. \u201cFDA approval is an important first step, but you need a lot more of the secondary regulation, training and proficiency testing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Truvian understands this.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese doctors are right to be hesitant,\u201d acknowledged Dr. Alan Wu, chief of the clinical chemistry and toxicology laboratories at San Francisco General Hospital, who\u00a0also serves on Truvian\u2019s scientific advisory board. Before Wu took a position advising Truvian, he advised Theranos.<\/p>\n
\u201cTruvian has gone overboard to prove that their technology is sound and works. They won\u2019t release anything until everybody is comfortable with it, and we\u2019re still not there yet,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
There are a handful of specific blood tests that are pending FDA clearance, and Truvian still needs to run more peer-reviewed studies to show how its device operates outside of controlled settings.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a scientific advisory board, and we have seen the data. I know the data is sound,\u201d said Wu. Now it\u2019s time for a peer review to decide \u201cif it\u2019s real or not. It\u2019s not enough for the company to say so, it\u2019s not enough for just the FDA to say so, although that\u2019s a big step.\u201d<\/p>\n
The biggest difference between Truvian and Theranos, according to Wu, is transparency.<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t able to see the Theranos device or data until he left his job and signed a contract with Holmes. \u201cThis is completely unlike Truvian, where from day one I was shown the device, shown the data, actually even was given the opportunity to be a patient and to participate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"Truvian's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SUT-L-truvian-01.jpg\")
Truvian scientists work on its compact blood-testing machine that aims to deliver results faster, with less blood than current systems. (Darren Bradley)
\nNo one at the helm<\/p>\n
On Jan. 15, Truvian scientists shed their goggles and gloves to gather in the community kitchen. They cut into a chocolate cake \u2013 everyone celebrated and had a slice, except the CEO, because there wasn\u2019t one.<\/p>\n
Since September, Truvian has been operating without a chief executive.<\/p>\n
But this isn\u2019t the first time Truvian has been without a leader. Since the company\u2019s founding, there has been turnover in the C-suite.<\/p>\n
Of the six founders who started Truvian in 2015, Marrinucci is the only one left involved in the day-to-day operations. Most of the founders moved on after a few years to pursue other startups while staying close as supporters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis evolution was consistent with expectations from the early days,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n
Kim Kamdar, the founding CEO, stepped down after the Series A round, but still holds a seat on the board. Since Kamdar, there have been two other Truvian CEOs: Jeff Hawkins served as chief executive from 2018 to 2022 before leaving to lead Quantum-Si. Jay Srinivasan succeeded Hawkins, but left for \u201cpersonal reasons\u201d right before Truvian received FDA clearance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just had dinner with him (Srinivasan),\u201d said Marrinucci. \u201cHe\u2019s cheering us on, supporting us from the sidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, Truvian is looking for a new leader who has experience bringing a product like this to market, Marrinucci said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to just rush into something. We want to find the best person,\u201d Marrinucci said.<\/p>\n
Truvian has a little bit of time to find a chief executive because they still have more work to do.<\/p>\n
The company is working with the FDA on additional tests, pursuing waivers required to place devices in pharmacies and urgent-care clinics, awaiting further peer review and finalizing its manufacturing strategy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re making them in small quantities,\u201d said Marrinucci. They have made 100 devices so far. \u201cWe have a validated manufacturing line and ISO certification. The instruments are produced by a contract manufacturing partner based in California.\u201d (Meaning their manufacturing process meets international quality standards.)<\/p>\n
Truvian\u2019s San Diego facility can manufacture a million Truvian \u201ckits\u201d \u2014 which are just the tests, not the device itself.<\/p>\n
FDA clearance is a big step. But bringing the device to market may prove to be harder. It will take millions of dollars, a highly skilled manufacturer, and a leader with experience distributing devices like this.<\/p>\n
But finding this leader with experience may be just as hard as this device is the first of its kind. \u201cTrue, true,\u201d Marrinucci said. \u201cBut there are lots of successful leaders out there that have brought a product to the marketplace that have a big impact on patients.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This San Diego company miniaturized a multimillion-dollar blood-testing lab into a device the size of a microwave. Truvian,created…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":307013,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[1381,72,103,397,396,61,60,6492,91926],"class_list":{"0":"post-307012","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-biotech","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-health-care","12":"tag-healthcare","13":"tag-ie","14":"tag-ireland","15":"tag-latest-headlines","16":"tag-top-stories-sdut"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=307012"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/307012\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/307013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=307012"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=307012"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=307012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}