An increased range of Sexual Health and other Screening tests using remote testing/self-taken small volume blood samples (home collection) and postal pathology has been developed using TDL TINIES™.
TDL TINIES™ (packs with instructions) can be fulfilled by TDL and sent directly to the patient (by arrangement) or supplied directly to doctors or healthcare companies. Not all screening tests are suitable to be taken as a TDL TINY sample. IMPORTANT: This is not point of care testing. All testing is undertaken in the laboratory. Test results from postal samples are always returned directly to the healthcare company or doctor, not to the patient.
The list of tests in the downloaded TDL Tiny™ PDF show some of the range that can be offered to patients for self-collection, using TDL TINIES™ and Royal Mail postal packs. Orders for TDL TINIES™ (packs with instructions) an be made up by TDL, by arrangement, and sent individually to patients, or supplied directly to doctors or healthcare companies. This is not a patient self-referral service and it is not point of care testing. All testing is undertaken in the laboratory and results are always returned directly to the healthcare company or doctor, not to the patient.
Click here to download the TDL Tiny PDF
TDL TINY™ samples can be combined with other self-collected samples types (urine, stool, swabs, HPV).
In the case of positive Sexual Health, results will be reported with the recommendation for a venous sample to undertake confirmatory sample.
The sample volume from one TINY sample, when filled to the upper fill line, is 600 microlitres. These, on receipt in the laboratory, are centrifuged and provide a volume of 300 microlitres of serum/plasma (depending on the tube type used). Different tests require varying amounts of sample, and this, together with analyser dead volumes, means that although certain tests can be carried out from TINY tubes, many tests simply cannot be achieved from these smaller sample volumes.
TDL TINY™ microtainers are manufactured by BD Diagnostics. They are designed for samples collection from skin puncture. BD Microtainers come with a variety of additives for various tests, have visible fill lines, and are colour coded as for standard BD Vacutainer tubes. Tubes and Lancets are CE marked. TDL TINY™ packs are made up by TDL and contain everything needed for a patient to self-collect their blood sample.
Recommendation: most people are not experienced at self-collection of their own blood. Whilst it is certainly possible to do a number of tests from one TINY and it is possible to collect for two or three microtainers – the most successful outcomes are collected by patients who read the instructions given in each pack, and who collect enough sample for one microtainer. Instructions for sample collection are enclosed in each pack. A completed request form must be enclosed with the returned sample. Results will always be sent to the requesting doctor /healthcare organisation.
There is a TDL TINY™ video to assist patients with sample collection.
This can be personalised with logo and details.
For information and packs, please contact Annette Wilkinson 020 7307 7343 or email tinies@tdlpathology.com.