The flavoured low-cost device will require children to simply chew and blow or cough for easy and safe sample collection of oral fluids
India Health Fund (IHF), a Tata Trusts initiative has announced its funding and support for a lollipop and chewing gum inspired sputum collection device for testing Tuberculosis (TB) among children. Being developed by 221B Biomedical and christened ‘Blow-Pop’, it will help address lakhs of under, mis- and delayed diagnosed cases of TB among children.
The child-friendly sample collection device is expected to be ready for roll-out over the next two years.
The grant aims to pave the way for development and clinical validation of 221B Biomedical’s simulated method. The innovation is a low-cost device that will improve the safety, efficacy, and ease of sputum collection for TB in children. Inspired from a lollipop, and chewing gum user experience, the conch-shaped device needs children to simply chew and blow or cough for easy sample collection of oral fluids. Moreover, owing to its simplicity, the tool will be ideal for low-resource settings, including primary healthcare setups. While this tool will be developed initially keeping children in mind, a similar product can be used among adults too, and its development and deployment will be explored.