Method for transdermal nucleic acid sampling

A method of transdermally sampling nucleic acid comprising:

• piercing through the stratum corneum layer of skin into at least an underlying epidermis layer with a skin-piercing microprojection and disrupting or dislodging skin cells containing nucleic acid;
• collecting nucleic acid from the disrupted or dislodged skin cells by allowing the microprojection to become at least partially coated with nucleic acid-containing body fluid and withdrawing the microprojection from the skin;
• and analyzing the nucleic acid.

A method of transdermally sampling nucleic acid comprising:

• piercing through the stratum corneum layer of skin into at least an underlying epidermis layer with a skin-piercing microprojection and disrupting or dislodging skin cells containing nucleic acid;
• collecting nucleic acid from the disrupted or dislodged skin cells by absorbing a nucleic acid-containing body fluid into an absorbant material on the microprojection;
• and analyzing the nucleic acid in the absorbant material.

A method of transdermally sampling nucleic acid comprising:

• piercing through the stratum corneum layer of skin into at least an underlying epidermis layer with a skin-piercing microprojection and disrupting or dislodging skin cells containing nucleic acid;
• collecting the nucleic acid from the disrupted or dislodged skin cells by applying negative pressure to the pierced skin;
• and analyzing the nucleic acid.

A method of transdermally sampling nucleic acid comprising:

• piercing through the stratum corneum layer of skin into at least an underlying epidermis layer to a depth of less than about 500 μm with a skin-piercing microprojection and disrupting or dislodging skin cells containing nucleic acid;
• collecting the nucleic acid from the disrupted or dislodged skin cells;
• and analyzing the nucleic acid.

A method of transdermally sampling nucleic acid comprising:

• piercing through the stratum corneum layer of skin into at least an underlying epidermis layer with a plurality of skin-piercing microprojections and disrupting or dislodging skin cells containing nucleic acid;
• collecting the nucleic acid from the disrupted or dislodged skin cells;
• and analyzing the nucleic acid.

A method of transdermally sampling nucleic acid comprising:

• piercing through the stratum corneum layer of skin into at least an underlying epidermis layer with a multiplicity of skin-piercing microprojections and disrupting or dislodging skin cells containing nucleic acid;
• collecting the nucleic acid from the disrupted or dislodged skin cells;
• and analyzing the nucleic acid.

A method of transdermally sampling nucleic acid comprising:

• piercing through the stratum corneum layer of skin to a depth of at least about 25 μm and into at least an underlying epidermis layer with a skin-piercing microprojection and disrupting or dislodging skin cells containing nucleic acid;
• collecting the nucleic acid from the disrupted or dislodged skin cells;
• and analyzing the nucleic acid.

A method of transdermally sampling nucleic acid comprising:

• piercing through the stratum corneum layer of skin into at least an underlying epidermis layer with an array of skin-piercing microprojections, the array having a microprojection density of at least about 10 microprojections/cm2, and disrupting or dislodging skin cells containing nucleic acid;
• collecting the nucleic acid from the disrupted or dislodged skin cells;
• and analyzing the nucleic acid.

A method of transdermally sampling nucleic acid comprising:

• piercing through the stratum corneum layer of skin into at least an underlying epidermis layer with a skin-piercing microprojection and disrupting or dislodging skin cells containing nucleic acid;
• collecting nucleic acid from the disrupted or dislodged skin cells on a surface of the microprojection;
• and analyzing the nucleic acid.

A method of transdermally sampling nucleic acid comprising:

• piercing through the stratum corneum layer of skin into at least an underlying epidermis layer with a skin-piercing microprojection and disrupting or dislodging skin cells containing nucleic acid;
• collecting the nucleic acid from the disrupted or dislodged skin cells in an absorbant matrix, which matrix is in nucleic acid-collecting relation to the microprojection;
• and analyzing the nucleic acid in the absorbant matrix.

A method of transdermally sampling nucleic acid comprising:

• piercing through the stratum corneum layer of skin into at least an underlying epidermis layer with a plurality of skin-piercing microprojections extending from a sheet having a plurality of openings therethrough, said piercing causing disruption or dislodging of skin cells containing nucleic acid;
• collecting nucleic acid from the disrupted or dislodged skin cells;
• and analyzing the nucleic acid.

A method of transdermally sampling nucleic acid comprising:

• piercing through the stratum corneum layer of skin into at least an underlying epidermis layer with a plurality of skin-piercing metallic microprojections extending from a metallic sheet having a plurality of openings therethrough, said piercing causing disruption or dislodging of skin cells containing nucleic acid;
• collecting nucleic acid from the disrupted or dislodged skin cells by withdrawing a body fluid containing the nucleic acid through said openings;
• and analyzing the nucleic acid.