Introduction
This invention presents a novel microsampler device specifically designed for the efficient collection, secure storage, and reliable transport of small-volume biofluid specimens. The system operates based on dried matrix technology, eliminating the limitations of conventional blood sampling methods that often involve pain, high costs, cold-chain logistics, and risk of contamination.
The device consists of three main components:
- A front casing equipped with a replaceable material head containing a highly absorbent hydrophilic porous material and a lancing needle for skin puncture.
- A back casing with mechanical components to trigger the sampling mechanism.
- A transport cartridge with a desiccant window for drying and preserving the sample safely during transportation.
The porous material absorbs a fixed, predefined volume of biofluid (e.g., 30µL, 50µL, or 100µL) within seconds through capillary action, ensuring accurate sampling independent of blood viscosity or hematocrit levels.
Key Advantages
This microsampler provides a robust, user-friendly, and economically sustainable alternative to traditional blood collection systems, enabling high-quality diagnostics and drug monitoring with minimal infrastructure. It holds great promise for clinical settings, field diagnostics, and global health applications.
- Minimally Invasive and Painless: The device performs sampling with a fine lancing mechanism, making it suitable for sensitive subjects such as newborns, pediatric, elderly patients, and small lab animals.
- Precise Volume Collection: The porous material is calibrated to absorb an exact volume of biofluid, ensuring accuracy and consistency for both qualitative and quantitative laboratory analyses.
- No Cold-Chain Needed: Once collected, the sample dries rapidly inside the transport cartridge, removing the need for refrigeration or special transport conditions.
- Safe and Hygienic Handling: The replaceable components and sealed drying environment reduce the risk of cross-contamination and biohazard exposure, making the process clean and secure.
- Cost-Effective and Scalable: By avoiding the need for skilled personnel, cold-chain logistics, and complex sample processing equipment, the device is affordable and practical, particularly for remote, resource-limited, or underdeveloped regions.
- Compatible with Standard Analysis Techniques: Once in the lab, the sample can be easily extracted from the porous material using solvents and processed through chromatography, PCR, immunoassays, and other diagnostic techniques.
- Multi-Fluid Capability: In addition to blood, the device can collect various biofluids like saliva, urine, tissue fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid, offering broad applications in diagnostics and biomedical research.