Dermal Patch With Removable Vial for Minimally Invasive Sample Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for monitoring biomarkers, such as drawing blood samples, are invasive, painful, and cumbersome, leading to discomfort and reduced cooperation, especially in children, and existing continuous monitoring devices suffer from low sensitivity and specificity.
Innovation Solution
A dermal patch system with a lancet and cartridge that automatically deploys a needle to puncture the skin, collect a physiological sample, and store it in a vial, which can be analyzed later, featuring a plunger for vacuum creation and a self-healing cap for sealing, allowing for non-invasive and precise sampling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional blood drawing techniques are used to monitor biomarkers, then sample collection is achieved, but the process is invasive, painful, and causes discomfort leading to reduced cooperation
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the blood collection process into distinct functional modules: a lancet for minimally invasive puncture, a cartridge for sample reception and processing, and a vial for storage. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while minimizing overall invasiveness and discomfort to the subject.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge acts as an intermediary between the lancet and the vial, automatically receiving the physiological sample from the lancet and transferring it to the vial. This intermediary mechanism eliminates the need for manual blood handling, reducing subject discomfort while ensuring reliable sample collection and storage.
2Quantity of substance
If manual blood sample collection is performed, then physiological samples can be obtained, but the process is cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The device merges multiple functions into a single integrated system: the lancet, cartridge, and vial work together as one unit to automatically complete the entire blood collection, transfer, and storage process. This consolidation eliminates cumbersome manual steps, making the operation simple and efficient while ensuring adequate sample quantity is collected and preserved.
Solution Approach 2:
The vial is pre-prepared with appropriate buffers or preservatives before use, and the cartridge is pre-configured to receive and process the sample. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex post-collection processing steps, simplifying the overall operation while ensuring proper sample preservation from the moment of collection.
3Duration of action of moving object
If existing continuous monitoring devices are used, then continuous biomarker monitoring is achieved, but sensitivity and specificity are low
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs a disposable lancet and cartridge-vial assembly that is used once and then discarded. This approach ensures that each sampling event uses a fresh, sterile, calibrated system optimized for high sensitivity and specificity, unlike reusable continuous monitoring devices that may accumulate errors or degradation over time. The disposable nature maintains measurement precision across multiple monitoring events.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient, minimally invasive collection and analysis of physiological samples with improved sensitivity and specificity, reducing discomfort and increasing cooperation, particularly suitable for long-term biomarker monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
a plunger that is at least partially disposed within the vial and is configured to create a vacuum within the vial and the cartridge, wherein the vacuum can draw the physiological sample into the vial
Implementation Method 2
The needle is configured to puncture the self-healing cap to carry the physiological sample to the vial
Implementation Method 3
a self-healing cap coupled to the vial. In some embodiments the self-healing cap is configured to seal the vial after being punctured
Data Source
AI summary
A device for collecting a physiological sample from a subject includes a lancet and a cartridge configured to couple to the lancet. The needle is configured to puncture the subject's skin. The lancet is configured to automatically deploy the needle when coupled to the lancet which allows the needle to puncture the subject's skin and draw a physiological sample. The device further includes a vial disposed within the cartridge. The vial is configured to receive the drawn physiological sample.