Scientific references

The science behind the collection.

The CHIRAYOU at-home blood test uses the Tasso+ upper-arm capillary collection device. Tasso, Inc. reports the platform is cited in over 100 peer-reviewed publications. Below is a curated shortlist of the studies that most directly validate the parts of our process we can stand behind - the collection method and the assays we run - alongside the device's regulatory status and an honest map of where analyte-specific evidence is strong and where a marker rests on the validated collection method plus a standard laboratory assay.

About the device

The Tasso+ is an upper-arm capillary blood collection device. At the press of a button, a single-use lancet makes a tiny puncture and gentle suction draws a small, lab-quality sample from the capillaries just beneath the skin - no needle in a vein and no fingertip prick. It is designed for unsupervised use at home. Samples are returned to a certified laboratory and processed with the same clinical-chemistry methods used in standard diagnostics.

How the process works

From your upper arm to a report you can read.

The CHIRAYOU process is built around six steps. Each one is based on established clinical-chemistry practice - and where a step has been independently studied, we link to the specific peer-reviewed evidence.

  1. 01

    Sample collection - Tasso+ upper-arm device

    You collect a small, lab-quality blood sample at home using the Tasso+, a CE-marked and FDA-cleared upper-arm capillary collection device. At the press of a button, a single-use lancet makes a tiny puncture and gentle suction draws blood from the capillaries just beneath the skin - no needle in a vein, no fingertip prick, and unsupervised home use is the design intent.

    Evidence

    The Tasso+ is FDA 510(k) cleared and CE marked, and self-collection reliably produces lab-usable samples in published trials.

  2. 02

    Stabilisation and return shipping

    The sample container is sealed inside the kit, labelled with your unique identifier, and returned to the laboratory using the prepaid postal label included in the kit. Samples are stable for the documented postal-return window; if a sample is delayed in transit beyond that window, you receive a free replacement kit.

    Evidence

    The feasibility, acceptability and safety of self-collected Tasso samples has been documented across clinical trials.

  3. 03

    Laboratory analysis with clinical-chemistry methods

    Your sample is processed by a certified laboratory using the same clinical-chemistry methods routinely used in professional diagnostics - not a wellness assay, and not an estimate from a wearable or photo. Each of the ten blood values in the CHIRAYOU panel is measured with the same instruments and reference materials used in standard care.

    Evidence

    Independent and Tasso-authored studies have compared upper-arm capillary samples against venous blood across several analyte classes.

  4. 04

    Quality control before any result is released

    Each sample passes routine clinical-chemistry quality checks before a result is released - sufficient sample volume, no detectable haemolysis interference, instrument-side controls within range. If a sample fails any of these checks, no number is published to your account: instead, the lab notifies us, and we ship a free replacement kit so you can recollect.

  5. 05

    Interpretation in the app

    Once the laboratory result is available, your values are placed in the context of the reference ranges and known biological influencers, following the CHIRAYOU clinical protocol developed by our physician lead. Where a result is borderline or outside range, the report explains what the value may mean and whether medical follow-up is appropriate - you do not have to interpret raw lab numbers alone.

  6. 06

    Plain-language report in the CHIRAYOU app

    You receive your results in the CHIRAYOU app - each biomarker explained in plain language, your value plotted against the reference range, and clear next steps. The full report is exportable as a PDF you can share with your own physician, and the underlying numbers remain yours to download at any time.

Selected studies

Six peer-reviewed papers that ground our process.

Each study compares Tasso capillary self-collection against standard venous blood, or evaluates real-world feasibility and safety. Click through to read each paper in full.

  1. Tasso+2023

    Standard Venipuncture vs a Capillary Blood Collection Device for the Prospective Determination of Abnormal Liver Chemistry

    Wickremsinhe E., et al. · The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine

    Validated the Tasso+ against venous draws across a clinical-chemistry panel - including enzymatic creatinine and albumin - with concordance correlation coefficients above 0.95, and above 0.99 for several analytes. Tasso, Inc. staff are among the authors. The strongest single citation for Tasso+ clinical chemistry.

    Note: One analyte, potassium, was affected by haemolysis and did not show good concordance - so this is not a clean validation of every analyte measured.

    Read the paper
  2. Tasso+2025

    Comparison of the capillary and venous blood plasma lipidomes: validation of self-collected blood for plasma lipidomics

    Hameed A., et al. · Journal of Lipid Research

    A pilot study showing strong agreement (r ≈ 0.9–0.99 across most lipid classes) between Tasso+ self-collected capillary plasma and venous plasma - evidence that lipids can be measured reliably from a self-collected sample.

    Note: A small pilot (n = 10, healthy non-fasting male volunteers), with two lipid classes agreeing less well. It measures individual lipid species and classes by mass spectrometry - not apolipoprotein B, which is a protein.

    Read the paper
  3. Tasso-SST2022

    Assessing the use of a micro-sampling device for measuring blood protein levels in healthy subjects and COVID-19 patients

    Brandsma J., et al. · PLOS ONE

    Protein biomarkers including CRP, ferritin, IL-6 and PCT were well-correlated between Tasso-SST capillary serum and venous serum, with little sample-type bias - directly relevant to our hsCRP measurement.

    Note: A few analytes (e.g. D-dimer) did not correlate well, and home self-collection with delayed processing introduced differences for some markers.

    Read the paper
  4. Tasso+ / TAP II2022

    Remote self-collection of capillary blood using upper arm devices for autoantibody analysis in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory rheumatic diseases

    Zarbl J., et al. · RMD Open

    A comparison of the Tasso+ and TAP II upper-arm devices in rheumatology patients, evaluating self-collection success and autoantibody concordance. 98.6% of patients collected a usable sample within two attempts; usability scored 88.6/100 for the Tasso+ and 86.0/100 for TAP II, and autoantibody agreement with venous blood was excellent (r ≥ 0.98).

    Note: CRP was measured on only a small number of samples and agreed less well than the autoantibodies, so this study grounds feasibility and autoantibody concordance rather than the CRP measurement. Two co-authors are employees of an assay manufacturer (Thermo Fisher Scientific).

    Read the paper
  5. Tasso-SST2024

    Feasibility, acceptability, and safety of a novel device for self-collecting capillary blood samples in clinical trials in the context of the pandemic and beyond

    Dasari H., et al. · PLOS ONE

    A feasibility, acceptability and safety study of Tasso-SST self-collection across 119 participants of all ages. It evaluates blood volume, ease of use, pain and device performance - not analyte concentrations - and reports high acceptability and a strong safety profile.

    Read the paper
  6. Tasso-SST2021

    Self-collection of capillary blood using Tasso-SST devices for Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody testing

    Hendelman T., et al. · PLOS ONE

    Unsupervised self-collection with the Tasso-SST succeeded for 93.4% of participants (94.5% with supervision) - evidence that people can reliably collect a lab-usable sample at home.

    Read the paper
Evidence coverage

Where the evidence is strongest - and where a marker rests on the method.

What is validated, first and foremost, is the collection method: peer-reviewed studies show that upper-arm capillary samples agree closely with standard venous blood across clinical-chemistry analytes, and each marker is then measured with the same standard laboratory assay used on venous samples. Not every biomarker has its own Tasso validation paper - so rather than imply evidence we do not have, we label each marker by how specific its published Tasso evidence is:

Direct
A study above validates this exact analyte from a Tasso device.
Indirect
The closest Tasso evidence covers an adjacent measure.
Method-level
No analyte-specific Tasso paper yet - the marker rests on the validated collection method plus a standard laboratory assay.
BiomarkerEvidence
hsCRPDirect

Validated directly on a Tasso device for CRP - Brandsma 2022 (Tasso-SST) shows close concordance between capillary and venous serum.

AlbuminDirect

Wickremsinhe 2023 validates albumin on the Tasso+ specifically (concordance correlation coefficient above 0.95 versus venipuncture).

TriglyceridesIndirect

Covered indirectly by the Tasso+ lipidome study (Hameed 2025, r ≈ 0.9–0.99 across most lipid classes), which validates lipid measurement broadly rather than the clinical triglyceride assay specifically.

ApoBMethod-level

No Tasso-specific ApoB paper exists - the lipidome study measures lipid species, not the ApoB protein. ApoB is measured with the same standard immunoturbidimetric assay used on venous blood.

Vitamin D (25-OH)Method-level

No analyte-specific Tasso validation paper for 25-OH vitamin D. It is measured with the same standard laboratory assay used on venous samples.

Vitamin B12Method-level

No Tasso-specific paper for vitamin B12. Measured with the same standard assay used on venous blood.

eGFR (cystatin C)Method-level

Wickremsinhe 2023 validates enzymatic creatinine on the Tasso+, but our eGFR is estimated from cystatin C, for which we have not found a Tasso-specific paper. The cystatin C assay itself is the same one used on venous samples.

Gamma-GTMethod-level

Tasso liver-chemistry validation centres on ALT, AST, ALP and bilirubin; GGT is not separately reported. Measured with the same standard laboratory assay used on venous samples.

Uric AcidMethod-level

Not among the analytes covered by the Tasso validation studies we cite. Measured with the same standard laboratory assay used on venous samples.

FructosamineMethod-level

No Tasso-specific validation paper for fructosamine. Measured with the same standard laboratory assay used on venous blood.

We expect this list to grow as more analyte-specific Tasso validation studies are published. If you are a clinician or researcher and want to suggest a study we should include, write to hello@chirayou.com.

Limits, honestly

What this process is - and is not.

Up front, for clarity: CHIRAYOU is not an emergency service and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a physician - and we don't leave you alone with your results. The report explains each value in calm language and indicates when medical follow-up may be useful; it cannot substitute for the clinical examination, history-taking, and judgement your doctor brings. An out-of-range value is a starting point, not a verdict. If you have urgent symptoms, please contact a physician or emergency services directly.

Ready when you are

A validated collection method. A nearly painless test. €99 one-time.

Order the blood test