Description

The Veterans Health Administration is evaluating the safety and functionality of a variety of commercially available 3D printed nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs for their use in acquiring samples to test for the SARSCoV-2 virus. A nasal swab must be able to collect sufficient sample material from a patient for accurate PCR testing. Therefore, the design of the nasal swab head must have a sufficient surface area and absorption capability. However, these design features should not come at the cost of creating nasal mucosal abrasions that cause bleeding (epistaxis). Clinical analysis estimates that the likelihood of abrasion injury during normal use occurs when the swab is rotated during sample collection. This method provides an objective measure of the potential nasal swab abrasion resulting from swabbing. The test method consists of rotating a single nasal swab against a foam block under constant load, comparable to the pressure required for clinical swabbing. It is not intended to be an indicator of a safe or unsafe nasal swab, but rather to provide feedback on the abrasive quality of the swab. Data obtained from this test is intended to be followed up with a formal clinical trial during less critical times to establish safety and efficacy.