The advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of the SMA saliva collection device are as follows:

Non-invasive: Compared with traditional methods such as blood collection, saliva collection is a non-invasive approach that does not cause pain or trauma to the person being tested. It is especially suitable for children, the elderly, or those who have a fear of blood drawing, which can improve the acceptance and compliance of the test.
Simple Operation: The collection process is relatively straightforward and does not require professional medical staff to perform complex operations. The person being tested can collect saliva on their own according to the instructions, reducing labor costs and time costs, and also minimizing the risks associated with improper operation.
Good Sample Stability: Biological components such as nucleic acids in saliva have good stability under appropriate storage conditions. The collected saliva samples can maintain their biological characteristics for a certain period of time, which is convenient for transportation and storage and is beneficial for subsequent testing and analysis.
Multiple Collections Possible: It is convenient to collect saliva multiple times at different time points, which is helpful for the dynamic monitoring of diseases. For example, it can be used to observe the changes in disease-related indicators of patients during the treatment process.

Sample Volume Limitation: The amount of saliva collected is relatively limited, which may affect the accuracy and reliability of some testing methods that require a large sample volume. If multiple tests or in-depth analysis are needed, it may be necessary to collect samples multiple times or combine multiple samples, increasing the complexity of the operation.
Influence of Individual Differences: There are differences in saliva secretion volume and composition among different individuals, which may lead to fluctuations in test results. For example, some people may secrete less saliva, or the content of certain components in their saliva may be abnormal, which can interfere with the test results and affect the accuracy of the test.
Presence of Interfering Substances: Saliva may contain various substances such as food residues, oral bacteria, and viruses. These components may interfere with the testing process and affect the accuracy of the test results. For example, certain bacteria in the mouth may react non-specifically with the testing reagents, resulting in false positive results.

Limited Detection Range: Although the SMA saliva collection device is mainly used for SMA-related testing, for some complex SMA gene mutation types or rare variants, there may be a situation where the detection sensitivity is insufficient, and it is unable to accurately detect all pathogenic mutations, posing a certain risk of missed diagnosis.
Cannot Completely Replace Other Tests: Despite the certain advantages of saliva collection testing, in some cases, such as when a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s condition is required or more in-depth pathological analysis is needed, it is still necessary to combine other testing methods such as blood tests and muscle biopsies to make an accurate diagnosis and judgment.
Dependence on Detection Technology: The accuracy and reliability of its test results highly depend on the detection technology and equipment used. Even if the saliva sample is collected correctly, inaccurate test results may be obtained if the detection technology is not advanced enough or the equipment has errors.