Abstract: A blood sampling mechanism including a housing in which is inserted a magazine containing a plurality of test pads from which individual test pads are sequentially fed to a loading/testing station, each novel test pad being relatively thin and carrying a resilient dermis-piercing member having a pointed end directed toward a slit of a wicking membrane contiguous an exterior test strip, a transfer mechanism for transferring each test pad from the loading/testing station to a blood sampling station, a hammer at the blood sampling station for deflecting the dermis-piercing member with sufficient force to drive the pointed end through the slit and into the dermis causing blood to be wicked through the wicking membrane and into the test strip, the transfer mechanism subsequently transferring the test pad back to the loading/testing station, and optical or equivalent test systems at the loading/testing station for determining constituents of the blood sample.