CenBot: Blood Plasma Stabilization Instrument

The problem is the preservation of the maternal-fetal cfDNA ratio just after blood sampling. Current solutions can not preserve it because they carry whole blood that enables later maternal cell (leucocytes) degradation and genomic DNA infiltration into plasma. Thus, blood sample transport requires expensive tubes (10-14 EUR) and needs transportation from the hospital to the laboratory in 72 hours, which makes the logistics costly. Also, the blood sample is sensitive to temperatures under 6°C, and biological sample shipping has many regulations depending on the country. NIPT is a harmless alternative for that but has limitations in reducing availability.

Our solution is to stabilize blood plasma immediately after blood drawing on the spot using a plasma extraction device. To preserve the maternal-fetal cfDNA ratio just after blood sampling, the device centrifuges and separates plasma from EDTA vacutainer to a clean tube with a stabilization reagent. Maternal nucleus cells remain in the EDTA tube. This also excludes the need for costly tubes, loosen logistics requirements, and reduce transportation costs dramatically up to 50 euros per test. The device eliminates the risk of blood sample quality drop due to shipping delays (over 48 hours) and freezing/heating in transit. (More information at https://ingenuity.ee/)