Mobile Sample Collection for At-Home Blood Draw Logistics

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional laboratory blood sample collection methods require subjects to travel to medical facilities, making the process inconvenient and deterrent to compliance, and are burdened by inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

A mobile sample collection system that brings the sampling location to the subject using autonomous vehicles or drones, enabling convenient and efficient sample collection at various locations, including the subject's home or workplace, and allowing for painless or undetectable extraction of small sample volumes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If subjects travel to medical facilities for sample collection, then samples can be collected using traditional methods, but the process becomes inconvenient for subjects and reduces compliance

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveConvenience of sample collectionVSAvoidTime required for subjects to travel to facility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of bringing the subject to the sampling location, the system inverts the approach by deploying mobile sampling devices to travel to the subject's location. This allows sample collection to occur at the subject's home, workplace, or other convenient locations, eliminating the need for subjects to travel to medical facilities and thereby improving convenience while reducing time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces mobile sampling devices as intermediaries between the subject and the traditional laboratory setting. These devices include portable sample collection equipment, mobile laboratories, or automated sampling systems that can travel to various locations and perform sample collection without requiring the subject to be present at a fixed medical facility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If traditional fixed-location sampling facilities are used, then sample collection infrastructure is established, but logistical burdens increase and efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveSample collection efficiencyVSAvoidLogistical burden of fixed facilities

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from static, fixed-location sampling facilities to dynamic mobile sampling devices that can move to different locations. This includes vehicles equipped with sampling equipment, portable laboratories, or automated systems that can be deployed wherever subjects are located, thereby increasing productivity while reducing the logistical burden of maintaining multiple fixed facilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile sampling devices are designed to perform multiple functions: they can collect various types of samples (blood, urine, other bodily fluids), process samples on-site, and adapt to different subject locations. This multi-functionality increases collection efficiency while reducing the need for specialized infrastructure at each location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11517232B1Systems and methods for mobile sample collection

Publication Date: 2022.12.06 LABRADOR DIAGNOSTICS LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided for sample collection from one or more subjects using mobile sample collection devices.