The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for delivering and/or receiving a substance or substances such as blood from subjects. In one aspect, the present invention is directed to devices and methods for receiving or extracting blood from a subject, e.g., from the skin and/or from beneath the skin, using devices containing a substance transfer component (for example, one or more needles or microneedles) and a reduced pressure or vacuum chamber having an internal pressure less than atmospheric pressure prior to receiving blood. In some embodiments, the device may contain a “snap dome” or other deformable structure, which may be used, at least in part, to urge or move needles or other suitable substance transfer components into the skin of a subject. In some cases, for example, the device may contain a flexible concave member and a needle mechanically coupled to the flexible concave member such that the needle may be urged or moved into the skin using the flexible concave member. Other aspects of the present invention are directed at other devices for receiving 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.

A dermal patch system for collecting a physiological sample includes a cartridge configured to attach to the skin of a subject. The cartridge includes a bottom material layer, a middle material layer, a top material layer, and a sample collection pad. The top layer and the middle layer define a vacuum pin receptacle and the vacuum pin is disposed within the vacuum pin receptacle. The vacuum pin creates a vacuum within the cartridge when moved to a deployed position. The system further includes a lancet with a needle(s). The lancet is configured to move the needle(s) from an undeployed position to a deployed position when engaged with into the cartridge. The needle(s) is configured to draw a physiological sample from the subject when the needle(s) is in the deployed position. The vacuum created by the vacuum pin draws the physiological sample to the sample collection pad.

A lancing device including a latch that pivots between a non-blocking position allowing a lancet carrier and a lancet to advance and retract through a first forward and reverse lancing stroke and a blocking position preventing further/excess/secondary oscillation of the lancet carrier and lancet. The pivotal latch can pivot about an axis perpendicular (e.g., for an L-shaped latch) or parallel/coaxial (e.g., for a sleeve latch) to the advancement and retraction motion of the lancet carrier and lancet.

A blood sample collector can be used to collect a blood sample from a subject. The blood sample collector can be placed in a receptacle of a spectrometer to measure spectral data from the blood sample while the blood sample separates. The container may comprise a window to allow light such as infrared light to pass through the container, with the blood sample at least partially separating within the container between spectral measurements, which can provide improved accuracy of the measurements and additional information regarding the sample. The container may comprise an elongate axis and the container configured for placement in the spectrometer receptacle with the elongate axis extending toward a vertical direction in order to improve gravimetric separation of the blood sample. The spectrometer can be configured to measure the blood sample at a plurality of heights along the sample as the sample separates.

Provided herein are devices, systems, kits and methods for obtaining genetic information from cell-free fetal nucleic acids in ultra-low amounts of biological samples. Due to the convenience of obtaining ultra-low amounts of samples, devices, systems, kits and methods can be at least partially employed at a point of need.

A device for collecting a physiological sample from a subject includes a lancet and a cartridge configured to couple to the lancet. The needle is configured to puncture the subject's skin. The lancet is configured to automatically deploy the needle when coupled to the lancet which allows the needle to puncture the subject's skin and draw a physiological sample. The device further includes a vial disposed within the cartridge. The vial is configured to receive the drawn physiological sample.

A handheld lancing device having anesthetic feature includes a housing removably retaining a disposable lancet. A carriage suspended within the housing by an isolation assembly may receive the lancet. A motor in mechanical communication with the lancet produces vibrations transmitted to contact surface, which vibrate a target lancing site prior to and during piercing. The target site is vibrated for a predetermined period of time before deploying the lancet. The isolation assembly permits movement of the carriage and/or lancet within the housing in one direction while limiting movement in other directions, and further dampens the vibrations of the motor from the housing held by the user. A force sensor detects force applied by the pressing of the contact surface against the skin of the patient. An indicator(s) perceivable to the user identifies when predefined positions of the lancet are reached for initiating vibration then triggering the lancet.

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, 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.

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. The flow activator may be actuated in a deployment direction by a deployment actuator, 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, an effector may enable fluid communication between the opening and the vacuum source and may do so in response to actuation of the flow activator.

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.