A blood sample collection and/or storage device includes a two-piece housing that encompasses a port at which a fingertip blood sample is collected at a sample port. After the sample is taken, the two-piece housing is moved to a closed position deposit the sample onto a storage membrane Embodiments of the device include a one or more capillaries with movable plungers that dispense fluid from the sample port onto the membrane as the housing is closed. A desiccant, which may be held in place by a backbone structure within the housing, is positioned adjacent the membrane. The housing may also be opened to access the stored sample for further processing.

A container for collecting a sample is provided that can include a housing, an enclosure pivotally coupled to and slidably engaged with the housing, and a sample holder slidably engaged with and received within the enclosure. The sample holder can include a substrate configured to receive the sample. The container in a first configuration can include the enclosure being engaged with the housing to enclose and seal the substrate within an interior volume of the container. The container in a second configuration can include the enclosure exposing the substrate to the ambient environment.

A sample assembly includes a vial, a vial insert, and a sealing arrangement. The vial insert could be any combination of a sample chamber, a matrix, or a swab breaker configured to be positioned within the vial. The sealing arrangement includes a coupling portion and a cap assembly. The coupling portion defines a mounting channel sized to receive a portion of the vial. The coupling portion is configured to slidably couple to the vial. The cap assembly includes a desiccant cap. The desiccant cap is configured to couple to the vial to selectively form a sterile barrier between the sealing arrangement and the vial.

A test kit for detecting organophosphate compounds, includes a support apparatus, a sampling device, a buffer solution in a sample tube, and an acetylcholinesterase as the first active component and a mixture of 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) and acetylthiocholine. The sampling device is packaged in a sample tube, where the first active component is applied in a first reagent cap and the second active component is applied in a second reagent cap, and the first and second reagent caps each seal a sample tube. The support apparatus has at least four fixing devices for receiving the sample tubes. The sample tubes are fixed parallel to the upper side of the support apparatus, and the support apparatus has at least two receiving devices for receiving the first and second reagent caps and one receiving device for vertically receiving a sample tube.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a test kit. The test kit includes an assay tube and a reagent cap. The assay tube includes a sample opening in the assay tube for receiving a sample and a lateral flow assay (“LFA”) test strip in the assay tube in communication with a sample opening. The reagent cap is designed to be placed over the assay tube and includes a buffer. When the reagent cap is placed over the sample opening of the assay tube the buffer is released over the sample to carry an analyte over the LFA test strip.

A swab canister (101) is provided which includes a container (103) equipped with a first opening (105) and having a removable sample collector (117) disposed therein. A membrane (111) which is permeable to both moisture and a sanitizing agent such as ethylene oxide is disposed between the sample collector and the first opening. A desiccant (113) disposed between the membrane and the first opening.

An embodiment of the claimed invention is directed to a method that greatly streamlines and reduces costs for tissue preparation, preservation, long-term storage and sample retrieval for molecular analysis using a method based on dried blood spot (DBS) technology. In this method, a small needle punch sample of freshly excised tissue will be homogenized in stabilizing reagent and inserted into a device containing absorbent material and drying agent. This device is suitable for long-term sample storage at ambient temperature and allows for easy removal of sections for biomarker analysis.

A cartridge for sample preparation includes an inlet configured to receive a collected sample, a phase transfer assembly including a plurality of bead layers, and an outlet. The collected sample is configured to be transferred through the bead layers of the phase transfer assembly to extract a compound therefrom. The outlet is configured to transfer the extracted compound to a detector for analysis of the extracted compound.

Freshly obtained blood samples are deposited into a device that contains blood sample carriers, each of the carriers is designed to hold a fixed amount of blood and allow excess blood sample to flow through and be discarded. A desiccant within the blood sample carrier aids with the drying of the blood and the discarding of the excess sample blood. The device is stored/transported within a modified atmosphere package comprised of an impermeable sealable bag and an oxygen scavenger compound for removing oxygen from the bag.

We describe apparatuses, method, reagents, and kits for conducting assays as well as process for their preparation. They are particularly well suited for conducting automated sampling, sample preparation, and analysis in a multi-well plate assay format. For example, they may be used for automated analysis of liquid samples in a clinical point of care setting.