Abstract
Hematophagous (blood-sucking) arthropods
studied in the laboratory must be fed warm blood. Many blood feeder designs
exist, ranging from a simple sausage casing filled with warmed defibrinated
blood, to expensive systems involving blown-glass, water pumps, and/or electric
heaters. The blood-filled sausage casing is portable, but it does not maintain temperature. Existing heated systems are
attached to a temperature-regulating base station by hoses or electric cables
and are therefore not portable. There is a need in the art for a reliable and
inexpensive blood-feeding system for hematophagous arthropods. Dr. Stoddard has developed novel and
advantageous blood-feeding systems for hematophagous arthropods, as well as methods
of fabricating and using the same. The blood-feeding systems are low-cost,
portable, thermally stable, and have superior blood-handling features. They can
be fabricated on site (e.g., in a lab), for example by using a
three-dimensional (3D) printer (e.g., a direct drive 3D printer such as a
direct drive fused deposition modeling (FDM)-type 3D printer) and regular lab tools.
The blood-feeding systems are the first fully portable blood-feeders that stay
warm for extended periods. The systems can utilize a syringe filling system
that allows leftover blood to be recovered after use or added or changed while
the feeder is in use.
Benefit
Low-costPortableThermally stableSuperior blood-handling features
Market Application
Laboratories with blood-feeding arthropods including mosquitoes, ticks, and others
Publications
“Skeeter
Pheederâ€쳌: inexpensive 3D printed, battery-powered blood feeder for mosquitoes
and other haematophagous arthropods
Brochure
