Novel microdevices for controlled blood and skin extraction, NHMRC

Biopsy has been routinely used for the diagnosis of skin diseases but this process is painful and causes scarring for patients, which limits sampling in cosmetically sensitive areas and in paediatrics. Additionally, conventional biopsy techniques can be challenging in rural areas where resources are limited. We addressed these issues by developing a sub-millimetre microbiopsy device that enables minimally invasive skin sampling for diagnosis or research. Over the course of this skin microsampling technology development project, we have also identified a need for new blood sampling technology designed to target low resources regions and pediatrics. An absorbent microbiopsy device was developed to provide a safe and painless method for blood sampling without the need of hypodermic needle. Our technologies have been tested in volunteers from around the globe, in different age groups and on different body sites including the face and neck. Microsampling is not only applicable for skin disease diagnoses but is also used to sample for infectious disease diagnosis, perform longitudinal skin and blood testing, and sample in cosmetically sensitive areas in adults and children. We see that this technology has the potential to facilitate early detection of many skin conditions that will prevent unnecessary excisions of malignant diseases like superficial melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers or inflammatory conditions thereby improving patient outcomes in adults and children. Microbiopsy also has the ability to improve healthcare management outside of dermatology through minimally invasive blood sampling.