A Vacuum-Actuated Microneedle Patch with Integrated Reservoir (VAMPIRE) for Minimally Invasive Blood Sampling

Blood comprises a comprehensive compendium of biomolecules that is fully representative of human health; identification of specific biomarkers is useful for diagnosis, prediction, and monitoring of health, in real-time, making it the bio-fluid of choice for analytical applications. However, owing to the broad range of biomolecules in blood (10-log orders), the distribution of very low-level biomarkers in small volumes is governed by Poissonian principles and is not adequately representative. Thus, pinprick-based techniques often are not useful for accurate detection of such biomarkers. It is necessary to collect a larger, more representative volume of blood, but this is non-trivial, often requiring clinically-trained phlebotomists and highly invasive, painful methods. Lynntech is proposing the development of a low power/cost, minimally invasive, and relatively pain-free single-use device (VAMPIRE) for collecting larger blood samples (0.1-1 mL). The proposed device will be developed with a view towards potential future in-line integration with extant point-of-care diagnostics for easy, deployable use in remote settings. Additionally, the integrated reservoir will be designed to facilitate sample collection and storage for later-expanded clinical testing, if necessary. Sample collection is the weakest link in the chain of bioanalysis; VAMPIRE will provide unsurpassed, controlled, reproducible, blood-sample collection abilities that will bridge this niche.