Self-collection of capillary blood using Tasso-SST devices for Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody testing

Abstract

Background Efforts to minimize COVID-19 exposure during the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have led to limitations in access to medical care and testing. The Tasso-SST kit includes all of the components necessary for remote, capillary blood self-collection. In this study, we sought to investigate the accuracy and reliability of the Tasso-SST device as a self-collection device for measurement of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Methods Capillary blood was obtained via unsupervised and supervised application of the Tasso-SST device, and venous blood was collected by standard venipuncture. Unsupervised self-collected blood samples underwent either extreme summer or winter-simulated shipping conditions prior to testing. Sera obtained by all three methods were tested concurrently using the EuroImmun anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1 IgG assay in a CLIA-certified clinical laboratory. Results Successful Tasso-SST capillary blood collection by unsupervised and supervised administration was completed by 93.4% and 94.5% of participants, respectively. Sera from 56 participants, 55 with documented (PCR+) COVID-19, and 33 healthy controls were then tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Compared to venous blood results, Tasso-SST-collected (unstressed) and the summer- and winter-stressed blood samples demonstrated Deming regression slopes of 1.00 (95% CI: 0.99–1.02), 1.00 (95% CI: 0.98–1.01), and 0.99 (95% CI: 0.97–1.01), respectively, with an overall accuracy of 98.9%. Conclusions Capillary blood self-collection using the Tasso-SST device had a high success rate. Moreover, excellent concordance was found for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG results between Tasso-SST capillary and standard venous blood-derived sera. The Tasso-SST device should enable widespread collection of capillary blood for testing without medical supervision, facilitating epidemiologic studies.

Preliminary Acceptability of a Home-Based Peripheral Blood Collection Device for Viral Load Testing in the Context of Analytical Treatment Interruptions in HIV Cure Trials: Results from a Nationwide Survey in the United States

“…The feasibility and advantages of sending dried blood spots by mail have been shown in previous epidemiological studies [40][41][42]. The COVID-19 pandemic has further contributed to the increased community acceptance around sending biospecimens in the form of wet blood samples through the mail [13,43].…”

“…Increasing pluri-potency of the device (e.g., expanding its use to CD4 count or other regular tests) would augment acceptability, since CD4 testing is recommended once every two weeks along with weekly viral load testing during the initial weeks of ATIs [1,45]. The device was successfully utilized recently to test individuals for COVID-19 antibodies [43].…”

Accuracy and tolerability of self-sampling of capillary blood for analysis of inflammation and autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis patients—results from a randomized controlled trial

“…Indeed, self-collection of the blood in the UA group was impaired as patients were requesting help to press the button (5/25; 20%) and to remove the blood collection container (3/25; 12%). Using the same upper-arm device, healthy participants were able to successfully draw blood more often during the first draw and without assistance in a previous study [ 28 ] (first draw: 93 vs 80%; second draw 7 vs 16%). Future studies should analyze the failure rate longitudinally, as experienced users might use these devices more successfully.…”

“…In addition, also Blicharz and colleagues reported a significantly lower pain score associated with a similar upper arm device (TAP; Seventh Sense Biosystems, Medford, USA) compared to venous blood collection (0.4 vs 1.5 on pain scale from 0 to 10) investigating 143 participants [ 13 ]. A recent study evaluating the same upper-arm device also showed high correlation between venous and capillary blood when testing for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies [ 28 ].…”

Examining impairment and kinetic patterns associated with recent use of hemp-derived Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol: case studies

“…Capillary blood (100–400 μL) was collected from the upper arm using two types of automated collection devices, one purchased from Seventh Sense Biosystems (Medford, MA), and one purchased from Tasso, Inc. (Seattle, WA). The TAP I blood collection device (Blicharz et al 2018 ) from Seventh Sense Biosystems is designed to collect up to approximately 130 μL over a period of 1–3 min, and the Tasso+ device manufactured by Tasso, Inc. (Hendelman et al 2021 ) can collect up to approximately 400 μL in 5 min. These devices were used according to the manufacturers’ instructions.…”