Process for realising a device for collecting and transferring samples for molecular biology

• US 10,092,275 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copan Italia SpA
• Original Assignee: Copan Italia SpA
• Inventors: Triva, Daniele
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill Alice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tavares, Julie L
• Application Number:
  US15/295,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20170027549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0045 Devices for taking samples of body liquids devices for taking blood samples A61B5/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0096 Casings for storing test samples A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; preservation of living parts of the human or animal body A01N1/02; containers for retaining a material to be analysed B01L3/50; containers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/16; swab-sampler being part of enzymology or microbiology container C12M1/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0216 Sampling brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5029 using swabs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/02 Devices for withdrawing samples sampling of foundation soil E02D1/04; collecting or conveying radioactive samples G01T7/00, e.g. G01T7/02, G01T7/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/028 Sampling from a surface, swabbing, vaporising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25375 Liberation or purification of sample or separation of material from a sample [e.g., filtering, centrifuging, etc.]

Abstract

A process for realising a device (1) for collecting and transferring samples for molecular biology, the device including at least: a support body (2) having at least a first portion (2a), and a plurality of fibers (6) attached and arranged on the first portion (2a) of the support body (2) by flocking, such as to define a flocked collecting portion (3) destined to collect, on the said collecting portion, (3) a quantity of the sample for molecular biology, the process including at least a step of pre-treating the plurality of fibers (6) with a surfactant, the step of pre-treating the plurality of fibers (6) with a surfactant being performed after application of the fibers on the support body (2) by flocking and/or before application of the fibers (6) on the body (2) by flocking and/or wherein the surfactant is added to the fiber (6) during production of the fiber (6).

Claims

1. A sampling swab (1) for collecting and transferring samples for molecular biology comprising:

a support body (2), having at least a first portion (2a), and a plurality of fibres (6) attached and arranged on the first portion (2a) of the support body (2) by flocking, such as to define a flocked collecting portion (3) destined to collect, on the collecting portion (3), a quantity of sample for molecular biology,

a surfactant, wherein the plurality of fibres (6) are pre-treated with the surfactant, such as to increase a quantity of DNA or RNA releasable by the collecting device and usable for molecular biology operations; and

wherein the surfactant is a mixture of chlorides of alkyl-benzyl-dimethyl ammonium, in which the alkyl group varies from octile (C₈H₁₇—

) to octadecyl (C₁₈H₃₇—

).

2. The sampling swab (1) of claim 1, wherein the flocked collecting portion (3) is configured such as to at least one of collect a substantially known quantity of the sample, collect a quantity of between 5 and 1000 microliters, or between 10 microliters and 500 microliters, or between 50 and 200 microliters, or between 80 and 120 microliters of the sample or collect a quantity of sample of at least 0.5 μ

l per mm², or at least 0.6 μ

l per mm², or at least 0.7 μ

l per mm², or at least 0.75 μ

l per mm².

3. The sampling swab (1) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the fibres (6) are arranged on the first portion (2a) of the support body (2) in a substantially ordered way and such as to form a substantially continuous layer on the collecting portion (3) or the fibres (6) are arranged on the collecting portion (3) in such a way as to define a plurality of capillary interstices (9) destined to absorb the sample by capillary action.

4. The sampling swab (1) of claim 1, wherein the fibres (6) exhibit at least one of a yarn count of between 1.7 and 3.3 Dtex, or a length of between 0.6 and 3 mm.

5. The sampling swab (1) of claim 1, wherein the fibres (6) are made of at least one of nylon or of a material selected from:

polyamide, rayon, polyester, carbon fibre, alginate, natural fibre.

6. The sampling swab (1) of claim 1, wherein the collecting portion (3) exhibits a surface density of the fibres (6) on the collecting portion (3) of between 50 and 500 fibres per mm² or between 100 and 200 fibres per mm².

7. The sampling swab (1) of claim 1, wherein the fibres (6) are made of a material that is substantially not hydrophilous or not adsorbent of the sample, and/or of a material that is substantially hydrophilous or adsorbent of the sample.

8. The sampling swab (1) of claim 1, comprising a container (7) for the collecting portion (3), wherein the container (7) has an internal containment seating (10) and an access opening (11).

9. A sampling swab (1) for collecting and transferring samples for molecular biology comprising:

a support body (2), having at least a first portion (2a), and a plurality of fibres (6) attached and arranged on the first portion (2a) of the support body (2) by flocking, such as to define a flocked collecting portion (3) destined to collect, on the collecting portion (3), a quantity of sample for molecular biology, and

a surfactant, wherein the plurality of fibres (6) are pre-treated with the surfactant, such as to increase a quantity of DNA or RNA releasable by the collecting device and usable for molecular biology operations;

wherein the collecting portion (3) exhibits a surface density of the fibres (6) on the collecting portion (3) of between 50 and 500 fibres per mm² or between 100 and 200 fibres per mm².

10. A sampling swab (1) for collecting and transferring samples for molecular biology comprising:

a support body (2), having at least a first portion (2a), and a plurality of fibres (6) attached and arranged on the first portion (2a) of the support body (2) by flocking, such as to define a flocked collecting portion (3) destined to collect, on the collecting portion (3), a quantity of sample for molecular biology, and

a surfactant, wherein the plurality of fibres (6) are pre-treated with the surfactant, such as to increase a quantity of DNA or RNA releasable by the collecting device and usable for molecular biology operations;

wherein the plurality of fibres (6) pre-treated with the surfactant are configured to conserve and preserve the sample on the flocked collecting portion (3) for a predetermined period of time of at least twenty-four hours; and

wherein the surfactant is a mixture of chlorides of alkyl-benzyl-dimethyl ammonium, in which the alkyl group varies from octile (C₈H₁₇—

) to octadecyl (C₁₈H₃₇—

).