A lollipop-like device for diagnostic testing has been developed by researchers from the University of Washington.

The device, dubbed CandyCollect, promises a less invasive saliva collection method for capturing bacteria from patients — both adults and children — to test for strep throat and other illnesses.

The device, which works in lieu of traditional throat swabs for strep throat, features a spoon-like stick with a spiral shaped grooved etched to capture bacteria, such as the kind associated with strep throat.

CandyCollect. Source: University of Washington

To determine the effectiveness of CandyCollect, the University of Washington team sent the device along with two standard saliva sampling kits to 28 adult volunteers. The volunteers used the devices and subsequently sent them back to the researchers who eluted the samples and then quantified Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) — a saliva sampling approach wherein technicians analyze a patient’s spit.

According to the researchers, each time one or both of the conventional methods detected the target bacteria, CandyCollect also detected the target bacteria 100% of the time. Further, the lollipop device still generated accurate results after one year of storage.

CandyCollect is detailed in the article "At-Home Saliva Sampling in Healthy Adults Using CandyCollect, a Lollipop-Inspired Device," which appears in the journal ACS’ Analytical Chemistry.