A large-volume sputum dry storage and transportation device for molecular and culture-based diagnosis of tuberculosis

Technologies for preservation of specimens in the absence of cold chains are essential for optimum utilization of existing laboratory services in the developing world. We present a prototype called specimen transportation tube (SPECTRA-tube) for the collection, exposure-free drying, ambient transportation, and liquid state recovery of large-volume (>1 mL) specimens. Specimens introduced into SPECTRA-tube are dried in glass fiber membranes, which are critical for efficient liquid-state sample recovery by rehydration and centrifugation. Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msm) -spiked mock sputum dried in native Standard 17 glass fiber was stable for molecular testing after 10-day storage at 45°C, and for culture testing after 10- and 5-day storage at 37°C and 45°C, respectively. Compatibility with human sputum storage was demonstrated by dry storing Mycobacterium bovis -spiked pooled human sputum in SPECTRA-tube for 5 days at room temperature followed by successful qPCR detection. By significantly increasing the volume of samples that can be transported in the dry state and enabling recovery of the entire sample in liquid state, SPECTRA-tube presents a potential universal solution for the preservation and transportation of liquid specimens.