In an era where 'No Blood Collection Duties' is a selling point for recruitment-- [Blood collection VR], which changes blood collection skills with 'data', wins the Encouragement Award at the 'SME Excellent New Technology and New Product Awards'
Second Side's 'Blood collection VR' won an encouragement award. It digitizes tacit knowledge in blood collection training to solve medical staff turnover.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 19:04
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 25, 2026 at 03:48 (17h 16m after Collected)
Second Side Co., Ltd. (Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Toshiaki Yamashita) has won the Encouragement Award for its data-driven blood collection training tool, 'Blood collection VR', at the '38th SME Excellent New Technology and New Product Awards' sponsored by the Resona Foundation for Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion and the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (Supported by: Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, METI / Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, JAPAN).
Awarded Product: Data-driven blood collection training tool [Blood collection VR]
Award Name: 38th SME Excellent New Technology and New Product Awards, Encouragement Award
Organizer: Resona Foundation for Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion / Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun
Supported by: Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, METI / Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, JAPAN
Official Website:
38th SME Excellent New Technology and New Product Awards
List of Awarded Technologies and Products
■ Background: The 'Negative Chain' Lurking in Medical Settings
Resignation and brain drain due to anxiety about blood collection have now become a structural problem for medical institutions as a whole, to the extent that 'no blood collection' has become a special feature or keyword on nurse recruitment sites. It is estimated that 30% to 40% of newly assigned staff feel 'I can't draw blood,' 'I'm scared,' or 'I don't want to do it,' and this anxiety is a direct cause of turnover and reassignment.
Furthermore, the cost of OJT (on-the-job training) for anxious newcomers is concentrated on veteran staff, squeezing their original specialized duties. The resignation of exhausted instructors further lowers the quality of education, creating a vicious cycle—a 'negative chain' that is occurring in many medical settings.
■ The Root of the Problem: Blood Collection Education Trapped in 'Tacit Knowledge'
At the root of this problem lies the structure of blood collection education itself.
Instructions like 'at about this angle' or 'at about this speed' rely on tacit knowledge such as 'intuition' and 'knack', resulting in varied evaluations depending on the instructor. Learners have no way of knowing precisely whether their hand movements are truly correct or where they are off.
Even if they memorize textbooks, they cannot reach the 'correct answer' for the actual procedure. This 'vague' state has hindered the building of solid confidence.
On the other hand, preceding research by Hirosaki University and Kyoto University has shown that there are common movement patterns among people who are good at drawing blood (experts), and that elements such as 'needle angle,' 'puncture depth,' 'speed,' and 'stability' can be quantified.
A 'correct answer' exists. The problem was that there was no means to incorporate it into on-site training.
With Blood collection VR, learners study the correct position, angle, and depth for needle insertion along with voice guides and diagrams. If the puncture position is wrong, the patient's expression of agony and mental burden are visually represented as surrounding damage effects.
■ What is Blood collection VR: A 'Data-Driven Skill Analysis Tool', Not a 'Simulated Experience'
'Blood collection VR' is not a product that provides a simulated experience of blood collection. It intentionally does not pursue the 'reproduction of tactile sensation (haptics)' that overseas preceding products tend to fall into.
It tracks the learner's hand movements with high-performance sensors of commercial VR devices (Meta Quest 3S, etc.) and measures them precisely in millimeters and degrees. The entire procedure is objectively evaluated by data in 3 steps and 11 items.
For example, it logically explains the cause of failure, such as 'the needle angle was 12.25 degrees off from the course of the blood vessel.' It clarifies 'what, where, and how much needs to be improved.'
As a result, it transforms blood collection skills, which have been trapped in tacit knowledge, into 'explicit knowledge' that anyone can learn and reproduce.
By scoring and visualizing training, challenges are clarified, and items that have not been achieved can be practiced repeatedly until improved.
■ Features
◇ Objective analysis in 3 steps and 11 items
Each phase—pre-puncture, puncture, and post-puncture—is digitized into 11 evaluation items. It provides logical feedback based on numerical values rather than sensation.
◇ High-definition reproduction of blood vessels
Rather than CG, actual arms are 3D-scanned (photogrammetry) to realistically reproduce skin texture, unevenness, and subtle color changes in ultra-high definition. The quality allows for visual diagnosis.
◇ Diverse patient models
It reproduces five representative types of patient models, including an elderly person's arm where veins are hard to see, and an arm with high body fat where veins are deep.
◇ Patient reactions via live-action
Depending on the success or failure of the procedure, the patient (actor) reacts realistically with voice and facial expressions. Immersive training is possible.
◇ Overwhelmingly low cost of under 100,000 JPY for the set
By utilizing commercial gaming VR headsets, it achieves a low price that sets it apart from conventional expensive simulators. It provides a 'one device per person learning environment' where users can practice as many times as they want at their own pace with zero waiting time.
■ Background of Development and the Path to the Award
Since its founding in 1991, Second Side Co., Ltd. has been developing digital educational content for Benesse Corporation and textbook publishers for over 30 years. Based on the knowledge of pursuing 'behavioral change' and 'maximization of educational effects' required for learning materials, ... (Text ends here).
Awarded Product: Data-driven blood collection training tool [Blood collection VR]
Award Name: 38th SME Excellent New Technology and New Product Awards, Encouragement Award
Organizer: Resona Foundation for Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion / Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun
Supported by: Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, METI / Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, JAPAN
Official Website:
38th SME Excellent New Technology and New Product Awards
List of Awarded Technologies and Products
■ Background: The 'Negative Chain' Lurking in Medical Settings
Resignation and brain drain due to anxiety about blood collection have now become a structural problem for medical institutions as a whole, to the extent that 'no blood collection' has become a special feature or keyword on nurse recruitment sites. It is estimated that 30% to 40% of newly assigned staff feel 'I can't draw blood,' 'I'm scared,' or 'I don't want to do it,' and this anxiety is a direct cause of turnover and reassignment.
Furthermore, the cost of OJT (on-the-job training) for anxious newcomers is concentrated on veteran staff, squeezing their original specialized duties. The resignation of exhausted instructors further lowers the quality of education, creating a vicious cycle—a 'negative chain' that is occurring in many medical settings.
■ The Root of the Problem: Blood Collection Education Trapped in 'Tacit Knowledge'
At the root of this problem lies the structure of blood collection education itself.
Instructions like 'at about this angle' or 'at about this speed' rely on tacit knowledge such as 'intuition' and 'knack', resulting in varied evaluations depending on the instructor. Learners have no way of knowing precisely whether their hand movements are truly correct or where they are off.
Even if they memorize textbooks, they cannot reach the 'correct answer' for the actual procedure. This 'vague' state has hindered the building of solid confidence.
On the other hand, preceding research by Hirosaki University and Kyoto University has shown that there are common movement patterns among people who are good at drawing blood (experts), and that elements such as 'needle angle,' 'puncture depth,' 'speed,' and 'stability' can be quantified.
A 'correct answer' exists. The problem was that there was no means to incorporate it into on-site training.
With Blood collection VR, learners study the correct position, angle, and depth for needle insertion along with voice guides and diagrams. If the puncture position is wrong, the patient's expression of agony and mental burden are visually represented as surrounding damage effects.
■ What is Blood collection VR: A 'Data-Driven Skill Analysis Tool', Not a 'Simulated Experience'
'Blood collection VR' is not a product that provides a simulated experience of blood collection. It intentionally does not pursue the 'reproduction of tactile sensation (haptics)' that overseas preceding products tend to fall into.
It tracks the learner's hand movements with high-performance sensors of commercial VR devices (Meta Quest 3S, etc.) and measures them precisely in millimeters and degrees. The entire procedure is objectively evaluated by data in 3 steps and 11 items.
For example, it logically explains the cause of failure, such as 'the needle angle was 12.25 degrees off from the course of the blood vessel.' It clarifies 'what, where, and how much needs to be improved.'
As a result, it transforms blood collection skills, which have been trapped in tacit knowledge, into 'explicit knowledge' that anyone can learn and reproduce.
By scoring and visualizing training, challenges are clarified, and items that have not been achieved can be practiced repeatedly until improved.
■ Features
◇ Objective analysis in 3 steps and 11 items
Each phase—pre-puncture, puncture, and post-puncture—is digitized into 11 evaluation items. It provides logical feedback based on numerical values rather than sensation.
◇ High-definition reproduction of blood vessels
Rather than CG, actual arms are 3D-scanned (photogrammetry) to realistically reproduce skin texture, unevenness, and subtle color changes in ultra-high definition. The quality allows for visual diagnosis.
◇ Diverse patient models
It reproduces five representative types of patient models, including an elderly person's arm where veins are hard to see, and an arm with high body fat where veins are deep.
◇ Patient reactions via live-action
Depending on the success or failure of the procedure, the patient (actor) reacts realistically with voice and facial expressions. Immersive training is possible.
◇ Overwhelmingly low cost of under 100,000 JPY for the set
By utilizing commercial gaming VR headsets, it achieves a low price that sets it apart from conventional expensive simulators. It provides a 'one device per person learning environment' where users can practice as many times as they want at their own pace with zero waiting time.
■ Background of Development and the Path to the Award
Since its founding in 1991, Second Side Co., Ltd. has been developing digital educational content for Benesse Corporation and textbook publishers for over 30 years. Based on the knowledge of pursuing 'behavioral change' and 'maximization of educational effects' required for learning materials, ... (Text ends here).