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Updated: Jul 6, 2025
Cell Capture Using a Microfluidic Device
Published on: October 1, 2007
Capture of Group A Streptococcus by Open-Microfluidic CandyCollect Device in Pediatric Patients
Insights
CandyCollect, a lollipop-like device, effectively collects Group A Streptococcus (GAS) samples from children. Children and caregivers preferred CandyCollect over traditional swabs, showing its potential for easier pediatric sore throat diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Microbiology
- Medical device development
Background:
- Diagnosing streptococcal pharyngitis in children is difficult due to discomfort with traditional throat swabs.
- This discomfort can lead to clinic avoidance, misdiagnosis, or improper treatment for pediatric sore throat.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of CandyCollect, a novel lollipop-inspired device, for collecting Group A Streptococcus (GAS) samples in children.
- To compare user preference for CandyCollect against conventional pharyngeal swabs and mouth swabs in pediatric patients with pharyngitis.
Main Methods:
- Saliva samples were collected from children (aged 5-14) using CandyCollect and mouth swabs.
- Samples were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect GAS.
- Caregiver and child preferences for different sampling methods were assessed through surveys.
Main Results:
- All 30 child participants tested positive for GAS via qPCR on both mouth swabs and CandyCollect samples.
- Caregivers rated CandyCollect highly (27/30), with all recommending it for children aged 5+.
- A majority of children preferred CandyCollect (24/30) and liked its taste (23/30), with high willingness for at-home use (28/30).
Conclusions:
- CandyCollect demonstrates 100% concordance with traditional diagnostic methods for GAS detection.
- Both children and caregivers favor CandyCollect, highlighting its potential to improve pediatric sample collection.
- Future research will focus on larger cohorts and reducing collection time while maintaining the device's appealing design.
State The Purpose:
Obtaining high-quality samples to diagnose streptococcal pharyngitis in pediatric patients is challenging due to discomfort associated with traditional pharyngeal swabs. This may cause reluctance to go to the clinic, inaccurate diagnosis, or inappropriate treatment for children with sore throat. Here, we determined the efficacy of CandyCollect, a lollipop-inspired open-microfluidic pathogen collection device, to capture Group A Streptococcus (GAS) and compare user preference for CandyCollect, conventional pharyngeal swabs, or mouth swabs in children with pharyngitis and their caregivers.
Results:
All child participants (30/30) were positive for GAS by qPCR on both the mouth swab and CandyCollect. Caregivers ranked CandyCollect as a good sampling method overall (27/30), and all caregivers (30/30) would recommend CandyCollect for children 5 years and older. Twenty-three of 30 children "really like" the taste and 24/30 would prefer to use CandyCollect if a future test were needed. All caregivers (30/30) and most children (28/30) would be willing to use CandyCollect at home.
Conclusion:
All participants tested positive for GAS on all three collection methods (pharyngeal swab, mouth swab, and CandyCollect). While both caregivers and children like CandyCollect, some caregivers would prefer a shorter collection time. Future work includes additional studies with larger cohorts presenting with pharyngitis of unknown etiology and shortening collection time while maintaining the attractive form of the device.
Translational Impact Statement:
Obtaining oral samples for the diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis is of great importance for children. To address the challenges associated with traditional pharyngeal swab sampling, we developed the CandyCollect device, a lollipop-inspired open mesofluidic saliva sampling system. In this study, saliva samples were collected from children, aged 5-14 years, with CandyCollect and mouth swabs and analyzed via qPCR. The results show CandyCollect is the child preferred collection tool and had 100% concordance with the results from traditional diagnosis methods as part of their clinical care.
