In this publication, the authors determined the efficacy of CandyCollect, a lollipop-inspired open-microfluidic pathogen collection device, to capture Group A Streptococcus (GAS) and compared user preference for CandyCollect, conventional pharyngeal swabs, or mouth swabs in children with pharyngitis and their caregivers.

In this publication, the authors performed the first human subjects study using the CandyCollect device, a lollipop-inspired saliva collection device. They demonstrated that (1) the CandyCollect device can be used to collect salivary bacteria from healthy adults, and (2) the CandyCollect device was ranked the highest preference sampling method among the three sampling methods.

To improve the testing experience for strep throat, the laboratory of Prof. Theberge developed a novel lollipop-inspired sampling platform (called CandyCollect) to capture bacteria in saliva. The device can be used in clinics or in the home and shipped back to a lab for analysis, integrating with telemedicine.