Nasosorption™ FX·i
Nasosorption® FX·i is a proprietary upper airway sampling device and associated sampling method, designed and manufactured exclusively by Hunt Developments (UK) Limited under the Mucosal Diagnostics™ brand. The device incorporates a Synthetic Absorptive Matrix (SAM™) strip, an absorptive swab used to collect nasal mucosal lining fluid for laboratory analysis, biomarker research and clinical or translational studies.
The Nasosorption® device and associated sampling method are commonly used in respiratory, immunology and infectious disease research, including biomarker analysis and clinical trials.
Aksyuk et al., 2023 - Cell Reports Medicine
Nasosorption enabled high-throughput mucosal antibody analysis in a global COVID-19 vaccine trial
Nasosorption was used across global sites in a Phase 3 trial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine (AZD1222) involving over 3,000 participants.
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Anti-spike IgG in nasal lining fluid was detected from Day 14 and remained measurable at 12 months
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Nasal IgG levels correlated with serum IgG (r = 0.55–0.70)
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Higher nasal IgG was associated with lower saliva viral load (r = -0.383) and shorter viral shedding (r = -0.438)
SAM™ material is developed for wicking and absorption to achieve quick, comfortable nasal sampling, with minimal binding of proteins and mediators for good sample recovery. Nasosorption™ FX·i is designed to collect a mucosal lining fluid sample from the inferior nasal turbinate.
The sampling technique does not require a local anaesthetic and is applicable to many infectious and inflammatory disorders. Successful nasal pilot studies have been performed in adults with hay fever, as well as nasal sampling in babies and in young children.
Our unique products are the result of years of clinical feedback, delivering a product which is aimed to reduce patient discomfort and designed to be simple to use.
SAM™ is a soft, absorbent, fibrous material that can be inserted into a nostril. Nasosorption™ FX·i is comfortable to use and can obtain mucosal lining fluid (MLF) at frequent intervals over extended periods, making it suitable for time-dependent studies.
Targeted Therapy
Taking the right sample enables molecular events to be measured in mucous membranes. Since patients with various inflammatory diseases such as hay fever, asthma, and inflammatory bowel disease may have many differing individual patterns of inflammation, this enables the right highly specific treatment to be given to the right patient.
Many diseases of the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract cause inflammation, and existing methods of sampling have significant drawbacks. Development of the Mucosal Diagnostics product range has been driven by an urgent need for new methods of taking samples.
Maintaining patient comfort during sampling is one of our key objectives and we strive to overcome patient discomfort experienced during other common sampling procedures.
The Mucosal Diagnostics™ range of products are manufactured by Hunt Developments (UK) Limited, who have over 36 years of experience in the production of medical devices and healthcare products.
The Imperial Clinical Respiratory Research Unit (ICRRU) at St Mary’s Hospital works closely with clinicians and Imperial College London to develop new methods of sampling from the airways, identification of biomarkers, and testing of new therapies and vaccines for respiratory diseases
Our state of the art production facilities meet the requirements of ISO 14644 and are electronically monitored 24 hours a day.
Mucosal Sampling
Mucous membranes are the moist epithelial surfaces lining the nose and airways, mouth and gastrointestinal tract, urogenital tract, eyes and ears. The mucosal lining fluid (MLF) covering these surfaces contains biomarkers and mediators that can provide valuable information about the health and activity of the underlying tissues. Within the nose, this fluid is commonly referred to as nasal lining fluid (NLF).
Within the respiratory system, sampling and analysis of MLF can support research into viral and bacterial infections, allergy and asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis and respiratory cancers.
Analysis of MLF can help researchers identify molecular signatures of respiratory disease, investigate disease mechanisms, monitor treatment response and discover potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Mucosal sampling therefore has valuable applications in clinical research, translational studies and biomarker development.
About Mucosal Diagnostics
Mucosal Diagnostics™ is the specialist respiratory sampling brand of Hunt Developments (UK) Limited. We design and manufacture proprietary devices for collecting mucosal lining fluid from the upper and lower airways, including Nasosorption® FX·i and Bronchosorption®.
Our devices are designed to minimise patient discomfort and provide consistent, easy-to-use sampling for laboratory analysis, biomarker research and clinical or translational studies.
The technology originated through collaboration between Hunt Developments and Imperial College London, bringing together clinical and engineering expertise to improve mucosal sampling and the patient experience.
Nasosorption® FX·i is designed and manufactured exclusively by Hunt Developments (UK) Limited.
