According to a study of people previously infected with COVID-19 led by Seattle researchers, a self-management device used to collect blood can produce high-quality antibody samples and run successfully with a high percentage of users.
Experimental device made by a Seattle startup Tasso, It is possible to replace some of the blood that is usually drawn from a vein in a clinic.
The Tasso-SST device acts on the upper arm to draw blood from the network of capillaries under the skin. The patient presses a button on the device, which pierces the skin with a spring-loaded lancet and creates a vacuum to help collect blood.
Researchers from Tasso University, the University of Washington, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center tested the device in 99 study participants. One group has recovered from previous COVID-19 and is expected to develop antibodies against the virus, while the other group has no history of the disease.
The test is designed to ask patients whether they have produced enough antiviral antibodies to donate to people with persistent infections. Compare self-collected samples with samples collected using equipment under supervision and blood drawn through veins by blood draw physicians.
The researchers found that the antibody results of each participant were similar in all samples. Even if Tasso-ST samples are subjected to conditions that simulate 48 hours of transportation, this is true compared to the immediate processing of samples collected from blood draws.
“The results of venous blood and capillary blood samples are almost completely correlated,” said Chihiro Morishima, lead author at the University of Washington. Press release“The results are as good as we hoped,” adds Morishima, an associate professor of laboratory medicine and pathology.
These findings are consistent with previous studies, showing that antibodies are often stable in blood samples.
Although the sample was in good condition, some participants had to use the device twice to get enough blood. 85 participants (93.4%) produced enough blood for analysis on the first attempt, and 90 participants (98.9%) successfully drew blood through a vein. Almost all participants have at least some university education.
The device is designed to collect more blood than the average finger prick-an average of about 1/3 ml was produced in the study. This is sufficient for manual analysis performed in research, although automated instruments may require more.
Other Tasso-SST research is still ongoing, including another COVID-19 antibody study funded by Fred Hutch Partly by Amazon. Vice President of Tasso Products Nick End He is also a former senior manager of Amazon product management.
Tasso was founded by the CEO Ben Casavant And chief technology officer Irwin Bertier, They both received a doctorate in biomedical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In July last year, the 9-year-old company raised $17 million on the basis of the previous $13.1 million. Grant funding From the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Tasso also sells a device that can self-collect, store and transport small blood samples dried on strips.This device Received permission In May this year, it was used in the EU for non-diagnostic purposes, such as monitoring the level of blood components during clinical trials. This device uses a technology similar to Tasso-SST.
Tasso provided funding for this new research, participated in this research and approved the final manuscript. According to PLOS One, the company was not involved in making decisions about how to analyze or present the data. Research.