The Regents of the University of California are developing a blood safety microchip that can assess the safety of donated blood used for transfusions. The chip is a miniature, quick, point of care device that tests for blood-borne infections using enzyme-linked immunoassay and nucleic acid test kits. The ELISA and NAT will alert to the presence of HIV, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, and CD4 t-cell counts. The microchip can greatly increase the safety of blood transfusions which are often inadequately screened for viral infections but are needed during obstetrical hemorrhages. This technology came to our attention through the Saving Lives at Birth Challenge, 2011.