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In order to monitor blood chemistry in the past it has usually been necessary for samples to be given via large needles. For those requiring constant monitoring, this could be a serious and often painful burden. Hoping to make this a thing of the past, San Francisco startup Sano Intelligence has developed a small, wearable sensor patch that can read and transmit blood chemistry data continuously to almost any device. Roughly the size of a nicotine patch, Sano’s painless new transdermal device can already measure the glucose and potassium levels of the wearer’s blood, according to a recent Co.Exist report. Eventually, the aim is for it to be able to monitor all the standard components of a basic metabolic panel, including kidney function and electrolyte balance as well. Such data, in turn, will be retrievable in app form via a third-party development and analytical platform. Sano calls it “The API for the bloodstream,” making it accessible to users on their smartphones or other devices. Each sensor reportedly costs between USD 1 and USD 2 in materials and enjoys a lifespan of a week. Now about to enter pilot testing, the device could reportedly be ready to launch as early as mid-2013. Healthcare entrepreneurs: one to get involved in?