Recovery and Preservation in Dangerous Sampling (RAPIDS)

Background and requirement 

Defence and Security stakeholders across the UK and US are seeking to develop new sample collection and preservation systems that better maintain the integrity, viability and material properties of hazardous samples collected from operational settings, (overseas or homeland).  

Providing a standardised approach to sample collection helps maintain the confidence and credibility of results whilst reducing the burden on the collector, who will be restricted in their dexterity, movement and field of view due to the level of PPE they will need to use to protect themselves from the situation. 

The sample must be securely packaged for transit to the laboratory, eliminating further contamination. In addition, the chain of custody must be maintained to clearly communicate information associated to the collected sample to down-stream analysis and identification.  At the point of lab-based analysis, the sample must be easily extracted from the device via common lab-based practices. Maximising the end-to-end efficiency of sample extraction provides the lab with the best chance of positive identification.  

Approach 

Sagentia Defence, initiated the project with user requirements capture, to immerse ourselves in the current sample collection process, understanding use cases and user pain-points. In parallel to these our chemists and biologists began to test a range of wicking materials to identify a short-list of options that satisfy efficiency targets, material compatibility requirements and ease of manufacturing integration. The prospective materials were tested on a variety of inoculant and inert chemistry.  

The favoured wick was integrated into a collection device that enables the user to apply a buffer/eluent to the sample, collect into the wick and secure it within a collection vessel.  Labelling protocol was developed to ensure traceability throughout the downstream processing and along with novel wick and handle design, was prototyped for user study. Being able to put the prototype device in real user’s hands within eight weeks of starting the project was invaluable. Key user insights were obtained, allowing us to quickly optimise the hardware.  

Outcome 

Sagentia Defence  has developed a completed unit that provides synergy to hazardous sample collection and lab-based analysis. The concept has been developed and proved to be effective in reducing user steps, minimising user touch points and improving end-to-end collection efficiency.  The concept was developed to TRL-6, sampling in real-life environments. Awaiting funding to develop the device into TRL-7 and beyond.