Cotton swab sampling dries out too quickly, so scientists use a "strange pen tip" to keep samples moist

[Rina123RS]

In the medical laboratory, simple cotton swabs and small specimen bottles are indispensable supplies when transporting blood, saliva or other body fluids. However, the sample on the cotton swab dries quickly, and the small sample vial requires an additional transfer step before analysis can be performed. Now researchers have discovered that the felt fiber tip of the Strange Pen (without ink, of course) can serve as an effective and long-lasting sampling tool.

Igor Popov, a physicist at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology in Russia, purchased a replacement nib for a common exotic pen on the market. It was originally designed to keep ink from drying out for a long time. After the researchers soaked the porous pen tip in blood or saliva containing the painkiller acetaminophen, their "MacGyver" detector could still successfully detect the drug and concentration even if the sampling pen tip was left at room temperature for seven days. Popov said that this kind of tester is most suitable for testing drugs and hormones that do not break down too quickly. "This technology can be applied to testing places with insufficient medical conditions, such as rural clinics." Published in February this year. Research in Molecules and the June issue of Space Engineering details the use of this new tool.

Another possible application is space travel. Popov said that the jamaica telegram sampling device for testing astronauts must be lightweight and can be used without much training, and the samples must be easily stored until they are returned to Earth. Astronauts on the space station currently use small specimen bottles, which take up valuable freezer space on the space station.

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"The strange pen test is a new application that I haven't seen before," said Susan Richardson, a chemist at the University of South Carolina who was not involved in the study. She commented that future research should investigate whether the compounds to be tested can persist in body fluids. How long, for example, could microorganisms in the water break it down. The researchers will next compare various exotic pen tips to find out the composition, shape, size and other characteristics of the exotic pen tips that are most suitable for sample preservation.