Specimen Uniform Preservation from Fluid-Extraction (SuperFLEX)

"Current methods for the collection, preservation and transportation of biological materials are costly and time consuming. The Specimen Uniform Preservation from Fluid-Extraction (SuperFLEX) addresses these issues through the integration of the steps required to obtain and preserve a biological sample in a small compact device that is more amenable to transportation due to inactivation of infectious agents and no restrictive shipping temperatures. The SuperFlex is derived from the integration of several proven technologies developed by ChromoLogic LLC, as well as innovative design features that enable a lightweight, inexpensive, compact design. ChromoLogic will further develop these technologies by optimizing and integrating their design. The fluid extraction mechanism combines the simplicity of a finger stick blood collection with a manual pumping system for the collection of biofluid volumes up to 500 μL. The sample is then processed into its component molecules through manually pumping the fluid into a processing unit that inactivates the specimen and then separates and stabilizes the molecules of interest using moiety specific membranes. The unit can be safely shipped at room temperature and stored for at least 30 days. The analytes can then easily be eluted with greater than 90% efficiency of the starting material. "