Design and simulation of a saliva collection device using microdialysis concept

Recently, saliva has become an important assay to evaluate both, physiological and pathological conditions in human. The common methods for the collection of whole saliva samples are using cotton dental rolls, passive drooling and spitting method. However, each of these methods has its own drawbacks. In this study, a saliva collection device using microdialysis concept was proposed. Generally, the shape and material used for microdialysis probe varies depending on the sampling site. Hence, we have designed and evaluated five different microdialysis probe geometries for the in situ sampling of saliva components. These geometries were designed using AutoCAD 2010 software and simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics software at a constant inlet flow rate of 1 ml/min. Based on the results, it can be concluded that microdialysis probe geometry with a larger surface area and a design that produces uniform fluid distribution throughout the entire surface area of the probe is preferred to obtain a higher relative recovery. The described saliva collection device allows simple collection method within a short duration, provides sterile saliva sample at lower cost and easy sample storage as it does not need to be refrigerated immediately due to its high stability, which is useful for in-field studies.