Disclosed herein are devices, apparatus, systems, methods and kits for collecting and storing a fluid sample from a subject. A device for collecting the fluid sample can include a housing comprising a recess having an opening, a vacuum chamber in the housing and in fluidic communication with the recess, and one or more piercing elements that are extendable through the opening to penetrate skin of the subject. The vacuum chamber can be configured for having a vacuum that draws the skin into the recess. The recess can be configured having a size or shape that enables an increased volume of the fluid sample to be accumulated in the skin drawn into the recess.

The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for delivering and/or withdrawing a substance or substances such as blood or interstitial fluid, from subjects, e.g., from the skin and/or from beneath the skin. In one aspect, the present invention is generally directed to devices and methods for withdrawing or extracting blood from a subject, e.g., from the skin and/or from beneath the skin, using devices containing a fluid transporter (for example, one or more microneedles), and a storage chamber having an internal pressure less than atmospheric pressure prior to receiving blood. In some cases, the device may be self-contained, and in certain instances, the device can be applied to the skin, and activated to withdraw blood from the subject. The device, in some cases, may be interfaced with external equipment to determine an analyte contained within a fluid contained within or collected by the device. For example, the device may be mounted or engaged on an external holder, the device may include a port for transporting fluid out of the device, the device may include a window for interrogating a fluid contained within the device, or the like. The device, or a portion thereof, may then be processed to determine the blood and/or an analyte within the blood, alone or with an external apparatus. For example, blood may be withdrawn from the device, and/or the device may contain sensors or agents able to determine the blood and/or an analyte suspected of being contained in the blood. Other aspects of the present invention are directed at other devices for withdrawing blood (or other bodily fluids, e.g., interstitial fluid), kits involving such devices, methods of making such devices, methods of using such devices, and the like.

Disclosed herein are devices, apparatus, systems, methods and kits for collecting and storing a fluid sample from a subject. A device for collecting the fluid sample can include a housing comprising a recess having an opening, a vacuum chamber in the housing and in fluidic communication with the recess, and one or more piercing elements that are extendable through the opening to penetrate skin of the subject. The vacuum chamber can be configured for having a vacuum that draws the skin into the recess. The recess can be configured having a size or shape that enables an increased volume of the fluid sample to be accumulated in the skin drawn into the recess.

The disclosed apparatus, systems and methods relate to the collection of bodily fluids through the use of gravity and microfluidic properties by way of a collector. The collector can make use of microfluidic networks connected to collection sites on the skin of a subject to gather and shuttle blood into a reservoir by a combination of capillary action and gravitational forces. The collected fluid is moved through the microfluidic networks and into the reservoir by a variety of approaches.

The present invention generally relates to receiving bodily fluid through a device opening. In one aspect, the device includes a flow activator arranged to cause fluid to be released from a subject. A deployment actuator may actuate the flow activator in a deployment direction, which may in turn cause fluid release from a subject. The flow activator may also be moved in a retraction direction by a retraction actuator. In one aspect, the device may include a vacuum source that may help facilitate fluid flow into the opening of the device and/or may help facilitate fluid flow from the opening to a storage chamber. In one aspect, a device actuator may enable fluid communication between the opening and the vacuum source and the flow activator may be actuated after the enablement of fluid communication.

A medical needle comprising a flat puncturing part having front and back surfaces that are parallel to each other, wherein the puncturing part comprises a pair of side-surface inclined parts and provided at tips of respective side surfaces and a front-surface inclined part provided at a tip of the front surface, the pair of side-surface inclined parts and the front-surface inclined part each extend in an inclined manner relative to a puncturing direction so as to be tapered, and the tip of the front-surface inclined part adjoins a blade edge part formed by adjoining the tips of the pair of side-surface inclined parts and a depression is formed in the front surface of the puncturing part so as to partially indent the pair of side-surface inclined parts and the front-surface inclined part.

The biological test kit is a device for drawing and, optionally, testing biological samples. The biological test kit is an array of lancets set in wells in a rigid base. Each lancet well is covered by a protective cover which when deformed permits the lancet to puncture a user or other patient. In one embodiment the biological test kit employs distinct covers for each lancet and in another the covers are formed from sheet material formed into blisters which cover the lancet.

Disclosed herein are devices, apparatus, systems, methods and kits for collecting and storing a fluid sample from a subject. A device for collecting the fluid sample can include a housing comprising a recess having an opening, a vacuum chamber in the housing and in fluidic communication with the recess, and one or more piercing elements that are extendable through the opening to penetrate skin of the subject. The vacuum chamber can be configured for having a vacuum that draws the skin into the recess. The recess can be configured having a size or shape that enables an increased volume of the fluid sample to be accumulated in the skin drawn into the recess.

Disclosed herein are devices, apparatus, systems, methods and kits for collecting and storing a fluid sample from a subject. A device for collecting the fluid sample can include a housing comprising a recess having an opening, a vacuum chamber in the housing and in fluidic communication with the recess, and one or more piercing elements that are extendable through the opening to penetrate skin of the subject. The vacuum chamber can be configured for having a vacuum that draws the skin into the recess. The recess can be configured having a size or shape that enables an increased volume of the fluid sample to be accumulated in the skin drawn into the recess.