A novel device for collecting and dispensing fingerstick blood for point of care testing.

oleh: Alexis F Sauer-Budge, Samuel J Brookfield, Ronald Janzen, Sarah McGray, Anna Boardman, Holger Wirz, Nira R Pollock

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2017-01-01

Deskripsi

The increased world-wide availability of point-of-care (POC) tests utilizing fingerstick blood has led to testing scenarios in which multiple separate fingersticks are performed during a single patient encounter, generating cumulative discomfort and reducing testing efficiency. We have developed a device capable of a) collection of up to 100 μL of fingerstick blood from a single fingerstick by capillary action, and b) dispensing this blood in variable increments set by the user. We tested the prototype device both in a controlled laboratory setting and in a fingerstick study involving naive device users, and found it to have accuracy and precision similar to a conventional pipettor. The users also found the device to be easy to use, and recommended minor ergonomic improvements. Our device would allow performance of multiple POC tests from a single fingerstick blood sample, thus providing a novel functionality that may be of use in many testing settings worldwide.