A Novel Device that Reduces Preparation Times and Precision Mass Error in Patch Testing for Allergic Contact Dermatitis.

BACKGROUND

Patch test preparation for evaluation of allergic contact dermatitis is traditionally a slow process with inherent errors.

OBJECTIVE

A novel device, referred to as a syringer, designed to dispense 10 unique petroleum-based haptens simultaneously, significantly reduces preparation time and increases the precision of the mass dispensed per well.

METHODS

The syringer was custom designed and "printed" through the use of a 3-dimensional printer with a polylactic acid plastic medium.

RESULTS

The syringer dispensed 10 haptens significantly (P < 0.05) faster: 6.9 seconds on average, compared with 29.6 seconds by the traditional method. The syringer demonstrated a significantly (P < 0.05) lower average deviation of each strip's per-well mass average compared with the traditional method.

CONCLUSIONS

In practice, this syringer is ideal for preparing patient-ready patch tests in quantities of 2 identical strips or more.