Microsampling
It’s about enabling samples to be taken that would or could not be taken, to drive information-rich decision making.
- Microsampling - the why? the what? and the how?
- Our technologies
- Your applications
- Your partner
- Our collaborators
- Blog
- Resources
“Why do we take so much blood, particularly from the frail when we need so little! It’s unethical.” - Neil Spooner, Spooner Bioanalytical, CPSA Colloquia, 25 October 2017.
- The why
- The what
- The how
- Our technologies
- Your applications
- Your partner
- Our collaborators
- Blog
- Resources
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The why - a convergence of factors:
- Patient centric sampling
- Personalized measurement
- Cost burden of healthcare and move to decentralization
- Drive to population and longitudinal studies leading to big data
- Transition of more sensitive and selective analytical techniques into clinical pathology
This means that microsampling must evolve – it is the foundation...
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The what
We started with blood and skin.
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The how
Microsampling enables:
- less invasive and pain free collection compared with phlebotomy
- more frequent smaller volumes to be collected
- remote patient testing and is suitable for all patient demographics
- samples to be collected by anyone in any place
- elimination of cold chain transportation
- significant cost savings by reducing collection centre costs, transportation fees, storage costs of samples
“Why do we take so much blood, particularly from the frail when we need so little! It’s unethical.” - Neil Spooner, Spooner Bioanalytical, CPSA Colloquia, 25 October 2017.
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Technologies
hemaPEN
hemaPEN® is a microsampling tool that enables the collection of four volumetrically fixed, accurate and precise, samples from a single source.
hemaPEN exemplifies the advantages of dried blood spot (DBS) micro-sample stability, while addressing the associated limitations of volumetric accuracy, hematocrit effect and sample integrity.
Microbiopsy
While traditional biopsies collect a chunk of skin several millimetres across, this microbiopsy device takes only a very small skin sample, removing the need for anaesthesia and sutures and leaving only a pinprick-like wound behind.
"It takes only a quarter of a millimetre of skin – or 1,500 cells – for molecular diagnosis, which eliminates the unnecessary excision of suspicious benign lesions and alleviates the fear of excisions that many people have in the diagnostic process." - Professor H Peter Soyer
More information at Minimizing trauma of skin biopsies - Trajan and UniQuest to form partnership for the commercialization and continued development of devices for microsampling human tissue.
The hemaPEN® and the microbiopsy device are supplied for research purposes only. These devices are not for therapeutic or diagnostic use.
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Applications
- Clinical trials
- Therapeutic drug monitoring
- Skin cancer detection
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Complete solutions in microsampling
Pipeline of technology for potential integration
hemaPEN has been designed to effectively integrate with laboratory workflows:
- Pre-punch standard DBS substrate (PKI 226™, Whatman 903®) integrates into existing DBS analytical workflows
- Cartridge design integrates with standard microtitre plate formats
- Cartridge design enables integration of customisable or multiple substrates
Trajan is building a suite of technologies and solutions around hemaPEN as a platform technology that can be applied to any microsampling workflow challenge:
- Synthetic substrates that can be functionalized to improve sample stability, reduce ubiquitous impurities of standard cellulose-based DBS papers, or streamline sample extraction
- Customizable cartridge design
- Custom analytical workflow integration or automation solutions
Partner in vertically integrated solutions
- Design and development of components
- Manufacturing and global distribution
- Design and assembly of blood sampling kits
- Laboratory workflow integration solutions
- Analytical testing services
- Global sales and marketing
226™ is a trademark of PerkinElmer, Inc or its affiliated entities. 903® is a registered trademark of Eastern Business Forms, Inc.
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Our collaborators
ASTech
We are working with ASTech - ARC Training Centre for Portable Analytical Separation Technologies on hemaPEN and sample separation.UniQuest, University of Queensland
We are working with UniQuest, University of Queensland (UQ) to develop and commercialize devices for microsampling human tissue.More information about UQ Dermatology Research Centre.
Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia
We are working with the Future Industries Institute (FII) at University of South Australia (UniSA) on microbiopsy development.
Design + Industry
Trajan collaborated with D+I (Design + Industry) in the development of hemaPEN® from initial concepts to prototype device for research and investigational use.Spooner Bioanalytical Solutions
Spooner Bioanalytical Solutions is consulting to Trajan by way of providing expert review, advice and opinion in the area of microsampling. -
Coverage
- Trajan’s hemaPEN included on TGA’s ARTG as first blood microsampling device for use in Australia
- Pens and prospering as a manufacturer
- Minimizing trauma of skin biopsies - Trajan and UniQuest to form partnership for the commercialization and continued development of devices for microsampling human tissue
- AusBiotech Dispatch - Trajan teams up with UniQuest
Weekly, do-it-yourself blood samples are being pushed as the future of preventative medicine by the Melbourne minds behind the hemaPEN. @msanto92 #9News pic.twitter.com/w4tYPleIYJ
— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) April 17, 2019 -
Resources
