Collapsible fluid collection system for point-of-care diagnostics

Abstract

A collapsible sample collection device with a novel, collapsible 3D capture open affinity net dispersed throughout the volume of the container, said net with tethered affinity moieties, is designed to address the need for low-cost, simple harvesting and concentration of diagnostic analytes that generally does not require any ancillary equipment. The collection device generally permits analytes of interest to be efficiently harvested from body fluid samples, concentrated, collapsed into a flat mailing size, and protected from degradation without the need for traditional cold chain technologies. The concentration factor will increase sensitivity by several orders of magnitude when coupled with any type of downstream analyte measurement, including point of care testing. The collection device, in various embodiments, obviates the need for handling transport or storage of the fluid portion of the body fluid sample (e.g. blood, urine, saliva, etc.) with a volumetric concentration factor of 5 to 100 fold.